EQUIPE MEDIASahrawi journalist Hmetou El Kaouri sentenced to 20 years in prison

Equipe Media, Occupied Territories of Western Sahara, 3/2/2023

Hmetou El Kaouri* is a journalist for Smara News, in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

On 7 September 2022, Hmetou El Kaouri went to the El Ayoun police station to renew his identity card and was then arrested and transferred to Smara. A warrant for his arrest dates to 2018.

El Kaouri was on the case file of Mohamed Salem Mayara, a journalist, and Mohamed Aljomayaai, a cameraman.

The three were charged with disruption of traffic, attacking public property, armed gathering, and attempted murder.

The latter charge of attempted murder was expunged from Mayara and Aljomayaai's file, and on 31 March 2018 they were sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment and 18 months suspended prison. They served the sentence and were released.

However, for El Kaouri, the charge of attempted murder was upheld and added to the other charges.

On 23 November 2022 he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in Laayoune.

On 18 January 2023, he was sentenced at second instance to 20 years' imprisonment.

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Smara issued a statement in which they criticise the sentence and denounce the colonial policy without respect for international charters and laws. They also denounce the systematic repression against Saharawis, whether they are activists of the Saharawi cause, human rights activists or journalists.

They add that the charges were trumped up, and the sentence, unjust and harsh, came on top of a mock trial.

Hmetou El Kaouri is detained in El Ayoun prison.

* Hmetou El Kaouri is the name by which he is known to everyone. His Saharawi name is Mahmoud Mohamed Salem El Kaouri. Mahmoud El Kaouri is the name on his Moroccan passport.