Algiers — President of the Association of the families of Sahrawi detainees and missing Abdesselam Omar, denounced Wednesday in Algiers the arbitrary verdict pronounced by the Moroccan military court against 24 Sahrawi prisoners of Gdeim Izik, dubbing the trial "illegal and arbitrary."

The verdict "was pronounced against innocent people, some among them were not even present at Gdeim Izik, recalling that their preventive detention lasted 27 months," which is contrary to the Moroccan law, which states that it should not exceed one year. "

The Sahrawi citizens who came out in peaceful protest to denounce the "unjust" verdict suffered "severe repression and violence" by the Moroccan occupying forces.

Several states and organizations of human rights have denounced the trial organized by Morocco which refuses to reconsider this decision.

Regarding the situation of human rights in the occupied Saharawi regions, the speaker said that Morocco was committing "serious" violations against the Sahrawis, regretting that the MINURSO is the only UN mission in the world which is not endowed with the prerogative of control over the human rights situation.