Drug trafficking : Five Sahrawis sentenced to two years in prison after fleeing a Polisario jail

In September 2017, 18 Sahrawi inmates with Moroccan citizenships escaped a Polisario prison in Tifariti where they were held for drug trafficking. Five people among them were arrested by a Moroccan army unit.

Since then, they have been detained pending trial. Reportedly, this week a court in Es-Smara sentenced them to two years in prison for «drug trafficking».

This case dates back to July 2017, when the Polisario announced the arrest of a drug trafficking network. In November 2017, a court in the camps pronounced its ruling handing these people heavy sentences.