Page 62 Political Trials and the Status of Sahrawi Political Prisoners in Moroccan Prisons Political Trials 192. The past few years have witnessed a series of political trials in El-Aaiun Tazait, Marrakesh and Casablanca involving a group of Sahrawi human rights activists and civilians. These trials were characterised by the total absence of the minimum conditions of fair trial:  Lack of independence of the Moroccan Judiciary as it receives directives from the Moroccan Intelligence Service;  Arraigning a group of Sahrawi human rights activists before a military court;  Detention beyond the legally prescribed time (late at night);  Invasion of houses and ransacking them, terrorising families at the hands of the Moroccan Intelligence;  The secret nature of some of the court proceedings;  Subjecting Sahrawi political prisoners to physical and verbal assault before the Courts by some Moroccan lawyers, and militias employed by the Moroccan authorities in contravention of the principles of provision of the necessary protection for detainees during trials;  Harassment of journalists and observers, especially foreigners among them subjected to physical and verbal assault (see List No. 8);  Use of Moroccan officials and party media and other political groups as well as Members of Parliament, Trade Unions, the Moroccan Bar Association on the directives of the Moroccan authorities, to rally the Moroccan and international public opinion against the Sahrawi human rights activists and political prisoners;  Spread of racism among some Moroccan circles against the Sahrawi political prisoners;