European Parliament Omits Western Sahara from Human Rights Report Amid Moroccan Pressure

Morocco has deployed a well-honed diplomatic strategy to prevent any mention of the Western Sahara in the report, indicates El Confidential. Dozens of almost identical letters, signed by Moroccan ambassadors, were sent to MEPs, urging them to reject a mention of the territory.

The Socialist group in the European Parliament, led by the Spaniard Iratxe García, played a crucial role in the Moroccan strategy. They notably requested a vote on an amendment mentioning the Western Sahara, allowing its de facto removal from the final report.

This is not the first time that the Spanish socialists have aligned themselves with the Moroccan positions, recalls the same source. In 2021, they had supported the candidacy of Jeanine Áñez for the Sakharov Prize, to the detriment of the Sahrawi activist Sultana Khaya. More recently, they opposed a resolution calling for the release of prisoners in Morocco.

Faced with these accusations, the Spanish socialists have provided no official explanation for their motivations. Moreover, the silence of the PSOE fuels suspicions and reinforces doubts about the independence of its positions.

The final vote on the report on human rights and democracy in the world is, according to the Spanish newspaper, a symbolic victory for Morocco.