Equipe Media – 05/11/2024
Essmara , Occupied Western Sahara
Sahrawi activist Omar Bay was detained by Moroccan authorities in the occupied city of Essmara last Monday. After days of intense interrogation, he was transferred to Ait Melloul prison in Morocco, joining two fellow student activists.
The trio is accused of participating in protests commemorating the founding of the Polisario Front and the start of the armed struggle against Spanish colonialism in 1973.
Omar Bay, a 28-year-old History and Civilization student at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, is known for his outspoken support for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and independence. His detention is seen as a direct consequence of his political views and activism in favor of the Polisario Front.
Bay faces similar charges to his imprisoned colleagues, Hussein Bourkaba and Ayman Elytharbi, who were sentenced to ten years in prison. These arrests and subsequent legal actions highlight the ongoing suppression of Sahrawi activists by Moroccan authorities in the occupied Western Sahara.
Despite repeated attempts, Equipe Media has been unable to access the occupation police records detailing the specific charges against Omar Bay and his colleagues. This restriction imposed by the occupying authorities hinders efforts to fully understand the allegations, which often include fabricated charges to criminalize Sahrawi resistance and intimidate activists.
