A judge in occupied Western Sahara today concluded that the verdict in the case against Saharawi journalist Nazha El Khalidi would be announced on 8 July
Today, the controversial case against Saharawi journalist Nazha El Khalidi commenced in front of the Court of First Instance in El Aaiun, Western Sahara. The king prosecutor upheld the charges against Nazha and asked the court to find Naziha guilty. The judge announced that a decision would be rendered on 8 July.
The case of Naziha is of importance to the people of Western Sahara, as it the Saharawi people’s coverage of the human rights situation in the non-self-governing territory occupied by neighboring state Morocco.
According to the king prosecutor, Naziha was affirming her guilt in front of the court, by invoking that Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights ensured her right to freedom of opinion and expression.
On 23 June, a total of five international observers were expelled from El Aauin airport, preventing them from attending the trial of Nazha. On 24 June, the court was surrounded by police, both outside and within the premises of the courthouse. Saharawi activists wishing to attend the proceedings were allowed to enter.
Nazha invoked in front of the court that she is a journalist belonging to the Saharawi journalist organization Equipe Media, explaining that Equipe Media reports on the human rights situation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. Naziha explained to the court that Equipe Media has been undertaking this kind of work for over a decade and that Equipe Media is recognized by several human rights organizations and international media as a Saharawi journalist organization. She explained to the judge that Equipe Media has never been confronted with these kinds of allegations, and informed the court that the accusations against her have already been denounced as illegal by the UN Human Rights Mechanisms, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and several other international organizations. Naziha further informed the judge about how her personal information available on her phone, currently taken by the office of the prosecutor, is being used in a “dirty” was, to intimidate and harass her.
The defense invoked that Morocco is obliged to abide by its international obligations, and to ensure its compliance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The defense invoked that the Moroccan constitution ensures that national law must comply with international law, signed and ratified by Morocco. The prosecutor asked the judge to find Nazha guilty, urging that “we” are now in Morocco, and that the accused has to respect Moroccan national legislation, adding that Nazha had never been subjected to any form of ill-treatment or torture.
According to the prosecutor, the fact that Nazha had not signed the police records proved that she had not been tortured, since all that are tortured signs the police records (confessions). The judge ruled that a sentence will be rendered on 8th July in front of the Court of First Instance in El Aaiún. Upon leaving the courthouse, Nazha and her family were followed by the police, and the police currently surround her house.
As has been documented on countless occasions, Western Sahara remains a closed territory. The news in which international organizations receives from the occupied territories of Western Sahara comes from courageous Saharawi journalists and activists, belonging to Saharawi journalist’s organizations such as Equipe Media. These journalists risk their security to report on human rights violations and the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. This is the very reason for the accusations taken out against Nazha, in an attempt to silence the Saharawi journalists.
After the postponement of Nazha´s trial on 20 May, a communication sent by the UN Human Rights Mechanisms to the Moroccan Government was made public. The communication is dated 3 April 2019, and was signed on behalf of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
source: Vest-Sahara