Equipe Media – Occupied El Aaiun
20 January 2026
UN human rights mechanisms and experts have expressed serious concern over the ongoing deterioration of the health of Sahrawi human rights defender Mohamed Mbarek Lefkir, who is currently held in Tan-Tan Prison in southern Morocco. He is reportedly being denied adequate medical care and subjected to inhuman treatment.
According to a joint UN communication, obtained by Equipe Media, Lefkir—who has been serving a 25-year prison sentence since 2017 for his participation in the peaceful Gdeim Izik protests in 2010—has experienced a significant decline in his health since August 2025. Despite repeated requests, he has not received proper medical treatment or comprehensive medical examinations.
The communication states that prison authorities have failed to provide a clear medical diagnosis and have given him medication without proper medical prescriptions, raising serious concerns about his safety. In late September 2025, his condition required his transfer to the Hassan II Regional Hospital in Tan-Tan, yet this was not followed by effective treatment or meaningful medical follow-up.
UN experts also reported severe restrictions on family visits, which are limited to 15 minutes and conducted under close surveillance, violating his right to humane contact with his family. His relatives were not officially informed of his transfer to hospital and only learned about it through social media.
The UN experts consider Lefkir’s situation part of a wider pattern of mistreatment of Sahrawi human rights defenders in Moroccan prisons. They called on Moroccan authorities to uphold their international obligations, particularly regarding the right to health and protection from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The UN mechanisms urged the Moroccan authorities to immediately release Lefkir, or at a minimum ensure that he receives urgent, independent medical care, and that his basic rights as a detainee are respected in line with international human rights standards, including the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).
