Members of parliamentary working group denounce denial of entry to Morocco

Members of a governmental working group were denied entry to Morocco upon landing at an airport in the country on Friday. 

The three politicians and their respective parties have denounced their denial. The working group were scheduled to meet some entities linked to Sahrawi activism and prisoners this weekend. 

Ferran Civit (ERC), Susana Segovia (CatECP), and Vidal Aragonés (CUP) were the three who were not allowed to enter the country. They are a part of the working group for peace and freedom of the Sahara in the Catalan parliament. 

The three flew into Al-Aaiun airport from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, and a representative from the Moroccan government forced them to return to the airport of origin. 

The committee had previously carried out the information management through the Spanish Ministry. As they have explained, they are planning to visit a number of entities linked to Sahrawi activism and prisoners this weekend.

El govern marroquí no ens deixa baixar com a missió de l'intergrup parlamentari del Sàhara Occidental @parlamentcat
No ens deixen posar els peus a terra. Si no ens deixen veure la realitat sota ocupació marroquina, alguna cosa tenen a amagar. pic.twitter.com/Kmz6EmxtJw

— Ferran Civit i Martí (@CivitiMarti) February 28, 2020

Ferran Civit of Esquerra Republicana posted on Twitter that the Moroccan government wouldn't let the working group members disembark.  

Una delegación del #Parlament de Catalunya hemos venido al Sahara Occidental para ver in situ la situación del pueblo saharaui. Autoridades marroquis no nos dejan ni bajar del avion. #sahara pic.twitter.com/j0o9TCpDHq

— Susanna #EnComú (@susannasegovia) February 28, 2020

En Comú-Podem's Susanna Segovia denounces that they are not allowed to even step off the plane. 

Avui una representació de l'Intergrup del Sàhara del Parlament de Catalunya viatgavem Al Aaiun.

Ni trepitjar territori, així ens han rebut les autoritats del Marroc.

No volen que confirmem de primera mà la violació de Drets Humans i la repressió de tot un poble. pic.twitter.com/NXDkVEjHx3

— Vidal Aragonés (@VidalAragones) February 28, 2020

MP for the far-left CUP party, Vidal Aragonés, tweeted: "They don't want us to confirm the violation of Human Rights and the repression of an entire people." 

Parliament speaker Roger Torrent has lamented the fact that the delegation were denied entry to the country. 

According to the President of the Catalan chamber, the trip was supported by all parliamentary groups and had been authorized by the Parliament bureau. 

The institutional visit coincided with the 44th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, as the chamber highlighted.

The travelling delegation also included representatives of human rights organizations.