Lawyers for Lawyers, the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute, Front Line Defenders, the International Service for Human Rights and NOVACT express their concerns over the situation of Sahrawi human rights defender M`hamed Hali, who has been arbitrarily deprived of his right to practice as a lawyer in the Moroccan judicial system due to opinions expressed in support of the right to self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
We urge Morocco to ensure that Mhamed Hali is granted the right to a fair trial and that his right to freedom of expression is respected. We underscore that lawyers, as other citizens, are entitled to the right to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly.
We also urge Morocco to put an end to its crackdown on civil society, particularly Sahrawi human rights defenders in the occupied territory, including Sahrawi jurists and lawyers, and to ensure they are able to conduct their human rights work without risk of reprisals and judicial harassment.
As recommended by the Independent Expert on international solidarity (A/HRC/56/57) “States should eliminate the criminalization of international solidarity expressions and symbols and calls for accountability for violations of public international law norms, such as calls for peace, self-determination or decolonization […]”, referring to the case of Western Sahara.
With this call, we also invite other organizations concerned with the safety of human rights defenders, jurists and lawyers to take urgent action prior to the hearing of 27 June 2024.
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