The families of the three Sahrawi detainees stage sit-in in Tindouf

The families of the three Sahrawi detainees, arrested in June by the Polisario Front and held at the Dhaibiya prison, staged a sit-in Wednesday in Tindouf. According to pro-Polisario news platform Futuro Sahara, the detainees’ families called for the release of their loved ones.

They chanted slogans and waved the photos of the three detainees, Moulay Abba Bouzeid, Fadel Breika and Mahmoud Zeidan. The families also condemned the kidnapping of the three activists and accused the Front of «spreading» rumors about said detainees.

On Monday, the families called for joint action to defend the three detainees. Since their arrest, each family has been trying to militate for the release of their loved ones. Well-informed sources reported Monday that Fadel Breika is going on a hunger strike and that his health is deteriorating. Suffering from liver inflammation, the activist was not admitted to a hospital, the same source said.

Earlier in July, New-York based international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced the arrest of the three Sahrawi activists.

In a statement released weeks after the arrest of the three men, the NGO argued that «Sahrawi authorities should show credible evidence that Bouzid, Breika, and Zeidan may be guilty of genuinely criminal acts and not just peacefully criticizing the Polisario (…) If they don’t have evidence to justify criminal charges, they should release all three».