Moroccan Human Rights Leader Faces Trial Over Western Sahara Comments

The subject of the dispute? Ghali’s statements in an interview where he addressed the issue of the Moroccan Sahara. The Al-Karama Association for the Defense of Human Rights accuses him of making remarks "undermining the sacred national cause and the dignity of the Moroccan people". It notably accuses him of having disseminated "false information and slander" on the Sahara issue and the events of Gdeim Izik.

In this interview, Ghali recalled the position of the AMDH, in favor of the right to self-determination for the Sahara. He pleaded for a negotiated solution with the Polisario Front, which does not necessarily involve autonomy for the territory. "Why should Morocco negotiate if the only solution was autonomy?" he questioned.

These statements provoked strong reactions. While some criticized Ghali, others supported him, denouncing an attack on freedom of expression. The Moroccan Collective of Human Rights Defense Organizations in particular denounced a "blatant attack on freedom of opinion and expression and on the work of human rights defenders".