Ivry-Sur-Seine (France) - French human rights activist Claude Mangin, wife of Sahrawi prisoner Naâma Asfari, has reaffirmed the solidarity of the commune of Ivry-sur-Seine with the oppressed Palestinian and Sahrawi peoples, denouncing the detention conditions of Sahrawi prisoners in Moroccan jails.
Ms. Mangin took advantage of the municipal festival in Ivry-sur-Seine (on the outskirts of Paris), held every year in June, to promote international solidarity, present the Sahrawi cause to the people of Ivry and raise public awareness of the Western Sahara issue, through an exhibition of photos, posters and books for sale.
In a statement to "Equipe Media sahraouie", the French activist pointed the finger at France's responsibility as a permanent member of the Security Council, expressing her disappointment at her country's lack of support for UN efforts to resolve the Sahrawi question.
She called for greater involvement from Paris to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict.
She also denounced the difficult and inhumane conditions and suffering of Sahrawi detainees in Moroccan prisons for several years, calling on the international community to pay particular attention to the issue and to take action for their release.
To this end, Ms. Mangin announced "the setting up of a petition to ask the Minister of Justice (of the Moroccan occupier) to release these prisoners who have been in prison illegally for 12 years".
On another note, the French activist mentioned the important event of this year, linked to the signing of a protocol of friendship and cooperation between the commune of Ivry-sur-Seine and the town of Mejik, in the Sahrawi refugee camps, which she said had strengthened relations between the two parties, underlining the importance of international cooperation to resolve conflicts and promote human rights.
Human rights activist Naâma Asfari, husband of Claude Mangin, is one of 22 Sahrawi activists from the Gdeim Izik group sentenced by Morocco's military justice system. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
