Appeal by the International Platform for Defense and Support to the Moroccan Sahara to the Government of the Kingdom of Spain

We, the three thousands academics, lawyers, journalists, and civil society activists that are members of the International Platform for for Defense and Support to the Moroccan Sahara,

Condemn with the utmost vigour the Government of Spain’s hosting of Brahim Ghali, the chief of a mercenary group on Spanish soil, under a fake identity and using an Algerian diplomatic passport in a violation of international and Spanish law,

Recall that Ghali is the leader of a separatist armed group that is premised on the agenda of harming the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco, a sovereign State, with the aim of furthering Algeria’s quest for regional hegemony,

Affirm that the transport of Ghali on an Algerian medical plane, manned by Algerian officers, and the issuance of an Algerian diplomatic passport under the fake identity of Mohammed Benbattouch constitute yet again evidence of the responsibility of Algeria in the regional dispute over the Sahara, as the mentor of “polisario”,

Recall that this individual is currently under investigation by the Spanish judiciary for having perpetrated crimes against humanity in the Tindouf camps, on Algerian territory, including genocide, torture, enforced disappearance, sexual violence, and rape, and that an arrest warrant has been issued in this respect by Spanish authorities in 2008,

Recall that investigating and punishing perpetrators of crimes against humanity is a peremptory of international law, of which no derogation is permitted, and oppose that double-standard diplomacy and geopolitical interests supersede the law,

Firmly support all initiatives led to hold Brahim Ghali accountable for his crimes,

Express our disapproval of the attitude of the Kingdom of Spain, which not only infringes on its laws but also international law, by allowing a perpetrator of crimes against humanity to enter its territory in complete impunity,

Assert that humanitarian considerations do not justify actions that violate international law and universal principles of justice,

Express our full support to the victims of the crimes perpetrated by Ghali, and hold the view that the actions of the Spanish government are insulting to these persons,

Call upon the Government of the Kingdom of Spain to shoulder its responsibilities by arresting immediately Ghali, in order to bring him before the courts and hold him accountable for the crimes he has perpetrated, further affirm that the treatment provided to this individual does not exonerate him from accountability,

Call upon all UN Member States and the European Union to support investigations and judicial proceedings initiated against Ghali, in accordance with their international obligations,

Reiterate our call upon the international community to bring to an end the situation of lawlessness that prevails in the Tindouf camps, due to the illegal devolution of authority by Algeria to “polisario”, in violation of international humanitarian law,

Express our full solidarity with the population detained against its will in the Tindouf camps, as well as with all victims of human rights violations in Algeria.

Signed by Mohammed Ahmed Gain
Coordinator of the International Platform for Defense and Support to the Moroccan Sahara