Read the trial observation report here
Michael Ellman went as EMHRN’s official observer at the trial of 24 defendants accused of “ forming a criminal gang to commit violent and murderous acts against members of the security forces in the course of their duties, participating in such violence, and defiling a corpse…”
Mr Ellman went to Rabat to attend the Military Court (or “ Court Martial ”) hearing listed for 24 October 2012. While there, Mr Ellman had meetings with the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH) and the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH). He attended at the Court Office the day before with a Moroccan colleague from OMDH, where he made a formal request (in Arabic) to be admitted to the court proceedings as an observer. His request was accepted by the Registrar. There was no mention of the hearing being adjourned.
Mr Ellman and his OMDH colleague arrived at the courthouse before 9 a.m. the following day (the time fixed for the hearing) only to be told that the case had been adjourned sine die without a hearing. While an adjournment can be ordered at any time, no-one (not the Registrar, OMDH or AMDH) had expected this to happen without a hearing or procedural formality – but the defence lawyers, who were not present, had received advance notice.
The proceedings for which EMHRN sent out its observer arise out of the events of 8 November 2010 when a settlement established by the movement of Sahrawis from Western Sahara (annexed by Morocco) was dismantled by Moroccan security forces, met with a robust response from Sahrawi activists and resulting in the deaths of 10 members of the security forces and at least two civilians. The events of 8 November 2010 are part of a nearly 40 years’ struggle for Western Saharan independence.