Claude Mangin's Bold Stand Against Injustice
In a remarkable and significant decision, Claude Mangin, the spouse of Sahrawi political prisoner Naâma Asfari, is set to board a flight from Orly to Rabat on Tuesday, fully aware that she will be expelled upon her arrival. Mangin's journey is not one taken lightly; she understands the challenges that await her and is prepared to confront them head-on. Having previously walked from Paris to Tangier as part of the 'March for Freedom', she has opted this time to approach the very gates of colonial Morocco during a critical moment when the situation for the Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik has become increasingly dire.
This action transcends mere symbolism; it is a tangible challenge directed at the Makhzen, Morocco's ruling authority. Mangin does not harbor any illusions about smoothly passing through airport controls to reunite with her husband at Kénitra prison. In fact, her decision to go to Rabat is predicated on the expectation of being turned away. She aims for her potential expulsion to occur in the public eye, especially as nine Sahrawi political prisoners, including Naâma Asfari, have resumed an indefinite hunger strike as of September 23rd, protesting their conditions in several Moroccan prisons.
The Urgent Crisis Behind Bars
The plight of Naâma Asfari, who has been imprisoned since November 2010 and sentenced to thirty years for his role as a spokesperson for the protesters at the iconic Gdeim Izik camp, is particularly alarming. Earlier this year, he undertook a 46-day hunger strike from June to July, which he suspended after a dialogue that promised to improve conditions for prisoners and enhance family contact. Unfortunately, reports from support groups indicate that these commitments have not been honored. Consequently, the dire circumstances within the prison walls have prompted the prisoners to resume their struggle.
Families are now describing conditions that can no longer be dismissed as mere disputes within the prison system. They are raising alarms about inadequate medical care, physical and psychological abuse, and severe restrictions on visitation and communication rights. In many cases, families are unable to maintain regular contact with their loved ones, with some having to travel to the prison gates just to receive updates on their well-being. This reality illustrates that the prison walls are not only confining the inmates but also isolating their families and rendering their struggles invisible.
This is precisely the issue that Claude Mangin is addressing with her trip to Rabat. Her message is straightforward yet powerful: if prison doors close, she will come to the country's gates; if communications are severed, she will amplify the voices of the incarcerated; and if access to her husband is denied, she will turn her expulsion into a public testament to the oppression facing Sahrawi political prisoners. She has vowed to return as often as necessary, accompanied by those willing to join her, at airports where she risks being turned away.
What Mangin is embarking on is not merely a journey; it is a campaign. A campaign designed to resonate across continents, aligning with solidarity organizations, elected officials, journalists, and all those who refuse to let the fate of the Gdeim Izik prisoners fade into obscurity behind prison walls.
The timing of Mangin's decision is crucial, coinciding with the renewed 'battle for dignity' undertaken by nine prisoners, as one of their most prominent leaders, Naâma Asfari, has already suffered greatly this year. While the Makhzen may try to close its prisons, cut communications, and deny families access to their loved ones, it cannot prevent Mangin's expulsion from becoming a public event, drawing attention to the cause.
On Tuesday, Claude Mangin will board a flight to Rabat, fully aware that she risks expulsion a few hours later. This journey is intentional: to breach the walls of oppression differently, to voice the concerns of Naâma Asfari and his fellow prisoners, and to transform every closed door into an indictment against those who keep them behind bars. The 'battle for dignity' has taken flight, and its destination is Rabat.
As reported by lapatrienews.dz.
