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stance on the Western Sahara issue and participation in peaceful demonstrations,
demanding the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
179.
Most of the political detentions take the form of abduction as the Moroccan
authorities often appear in civilian clothes or look casual when they detain the citizens
whom they interrogate, harass and sodomise inside police vehicles or in unknown
locations before allowing some of them to go after torturing and intimidating them, whilst
keeping others in the prisons.
180.
The Sahrawi civilians may be abducted for any of the following reasons:
Writing slogans demanding the right of the Sahrawi people to selfdetermination;
Distribution of leaflets or hoisting of Polisario flags on Moroccan institutions
or in the streets;
Participation in peaceful demonstrations demanding political, economic and
social rights;
Participation in solidarity marches with the families of martyrs, prisoners and
Sahrawi abductees;
Accompanying or receiving foreign observers and journalists who manage
to enter the region;
181.
Attending political trials of the Sahrawi prisoners of conscience.
The evidence given by the victims of abduction to the Sahrawi and international
human rights associations, confirm the acts of torture, cruel and inhuman treatment
against them with their eyes covered and hands tied for long periods of time during
interrogations that often end up with the forced signature of police statements without
reading their contents to them.
182.
The whereabouts of 15 Sahrawi youths have remained unknown since 25
December 2005. Their families accuse the State of Morocco of abducting them for