A journalist recounts the crimes committed by the Algerian army against Polisario detainees before the National Human Rights Council in Geneva.
On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, journalist Mahmoud Zidan disclosed serious crimes perpetrated by Algeria against Polisario detainees in Tindouf during a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He confirmed that the Algerian army unlawfully opened fire on young individuals attempting to escape the deteriorating reality within the camps.
Zidan, a former detainee in facilities used by the Polisario Front, described a horrific incident that occurred on April 9, 2025, when the Algerian military shot at a group of people trying to leave the camp in search of a livelihood, resulting in the deaths of two young men and injuries to nine others, all while the Algerian authorities ignored the situation and failed to launch any investigation.
The activist emphasized that these violations are not isolated incidents but rather part of a systematic policy by Polisario leaders who embezzle international aid and resell it, worsening the suffering of detainees living under military blockade and corruption.
Mahmoud Zidan asserted that Algeria bears direct responsibility for the ongoing violations within the camps, urging the Human Rights Council to take immediate action to hold Algeria accountable and put an end to the impunity enjoyed by its forces in Tindouf.
This statement once again reveals the grim reality of what is happening in the Tindouf camps, which have become a focal point of humanitarian and rights suffering under an Algerian regime that seeks to continue holding Sahrawis captive and enforce a false reality, thus blatantly challenging international legitimacy and human rights principles.
