Concerns Over Naâma Asfari's Health Amid Ongoing Hunger Strike
In Geneva, Switzerland, on July 15, 2026, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) has raised alarms regarding the deteriorating health condition of Sahrawi human rights defender Naâma Asfari. Asfari has been engaged in an open-ended hunger strike since June 8, 2026, while incarcerated in Kenitra Prison, Morocco. The ISHR has urgently called upon Moroccan authorities to take immediate action to safeguard his life and adhere to recommendations put forth by United Nations human rights bodies concerning his situation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the organization highlighted that Asfari has termed his hunger strike the 'Battle for Dignity,' emphasizing his demands for the implementation of various resolutions and recommendations issued by UN human rights mechanisms that have yet to be acted upon, particularly regarding his case and that of the Gdeim Izik group of prisoners. These recommendations have remained unfulfilled despite the significant time that has elapsed since their issuance.
The ISHR expressed serious concerns about Asfari's well-being, urging Moroccan authorities to take urgent measures to ensure his physical safety and to engage earnestly in executing the resolutions set forth by the UN Committee against Torture and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Furthermore, the organization pointed out that various UN mechanisms have previously established that serious violations of international law have taken place concerning the Gdeim Izik prisoners. Notably, the UN Committee against Torture has determined that Morocco violated the Convention against Torture in the cases of Asfari and his fellow prisoners, highlighting that the judicial sentences were based on confessions obtained under coercion or torture, with no independent and effective investigations into these allegations.
Moreover, the ISHR recalled that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in its Opinion No. 23/2023, classified the detention of the Gdeim Izik prisoners as arbitrary. The Group called for their release and the provision of effective remedies in compliance with international law. Despite these clear UN resolutions and opinions, the ISHR emphasized that Moroccan authorities have yet to take meaningful steps towards implementing the recommendations from the UN human rights system, reiterating the call for Morocco to respect its international human rights obligations. It is important to note that Naâma Asfari's case has been highlighted four times in the annual reports of the United Nations Secretary-General between 2018 and 2022.
As reported by spsrasd.info.
