Equipe Media 12/05/2024
El Aaiun – Occupied Western Sahara
On Friday, May 10th, 2024, at approximately 11:58 PM local time, Saharawi student Salek Essalami was reportedly detained under questionable circumstances inside the bus station in the occupied city of El Aaiun. This incident raises concerns about human rights violations and the treatment of Saharawi people in the occupied territories.
According to Equipe Media reports, Essalami was boarding a bus to Agadir, where he attends university, when he was approached by a Moroccan constituency chief who requested his identification. Despite no incriminating evidence being found during the ID check, Essalami was taken into a police building within the bus station premises.
Essalami, in a call with Equipe Media, recounted the ordeal. He stated that he objected to the arbitrary detention and questioned its cause. However, his objections were allegedly met with violence. The constituency chief reportedly ordered police officers to beat and verbally abuse Essalami. The brutality of the encounter left him feeling faint, and he was subsequently transported to the hospital for medical attention.
Upon recovering, Essalami reportedly sought a medical certificate from the hospital to document his injuries. However, his request was allegedly denied by the attending physician. Undeterred, he reportedly attempted to file a lawsuit against the constituency chief at the local police station. However, authorities reportedly refused to acknowledge his complaint.
This incident is just one example of the many hardships faced by Saharawi students under Moroccan occupation. Due to the lack of universities in Western Sahara, students are forced to travel hundreds of kilometers to Morocco for higher education. This restriction on freedom of movement not only disrupts their studies but also highlights the limited educational opportunities available in their homeland after nearly five decades of occupation.
