- Aminatou Haidar
Aminatou Haidar (born 1967) is a
Sahrawi human rights -defender, political activist and formerdisappeared (1987-91). She lives inEl Aaiún inWestern Sahara with two children (Muhammad and Hayat), isdivorce d, and holds abaccalaureate in modernliterature .Imprisonment
She was incarcerated in the "Black Prison" of
El Aaiún onJune 17 2005 , after having been arrested a hospital where she was receiving treatment for damages inflicted bypolice during a demonstration during theIndependence Intifada . Reportedly, she wastorture d duringinterrogation s.Amnesty International has expressed great concern about the situation for Sahrawi prisoners inMorocco -controlledWestern Sahara , and specifically taken interest in the case of Aminatou Haidar, expressing fear for her right to a fair trial, and stating that she may be aprisoner of conscience (see [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290082005 this report] ).Trial and sentence, 2005
On
December 14 ,2005 , Aminatou Haidar was sentenced to 7 months in prison by a Moroccan court in El-Aaiún. Amnesty, which had sent an observer to cover the trial, immediately issued sharp criticisms of the Moroccan government, and said it was strengthened in its belief that she may be a prisoner of conscience. [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290102005]There is an international [http://www.arso.org/aminatoucamp.htm campaign] for Aminatou Haidars release which has been signed by [http://www.arso.org/aminatoucampPE070705.htm 178 members] of the
European Parliament . The parliament also called for her immediate release in a [http://www.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade3?PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2005-0414+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&L=EN&LEVEL=1&NAV=S&LSTDOC=Y&LSTDOC=N resolution] in October 2005. She has been nominated as a candidate for theSakharov Prize .Release from prison, 2006
On
January 17 ,2006 , Aminatou Haidar was released after having spent seven months in jail. [http://www.arso.org/intifadaaminatoufree.htm] A demonstration [http://www.arso.org/aminatou170106.jpg] received her, and she reportedly commented that "the joy is incomplete without the release of all Saharawi political prisoners, and without the liberation of all the territories of the homeland still under the occupation of the oppressor". [http://www.spsrasd.info/sps-e170106.html]Nomination for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize
In February 2008, the
American Friends Service Committee announced it had nominated Haidar for theNobel Peace Prize . [http://afsc.org/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/15166/pid/449 AFSC Statement]ee also
* Years of lead
*Ali Salem Tamek
*Mohamed Elmoutaoikil
*History of Western Sahara External links
* [http://www.arso.org/aminatoutestim2002.htm Testimony on her "disappearance" (1987-91)] by Aminatou Haidar (2002)
* [http://www.arso.org/aminatoubio.htm#e Aminatou Haidar Biography] - www.arso.org
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