Tensions have escalated at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir after the administration of the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences summoned several Sahrawi students for disciplinary hearings. The move comes in response to their participation in a recent on-campus protest in support of Western Sahara’s independence movement.
The demonstration, held earlier this week, aimed to express solidarity with Sahrawi political prisoners, particularly the Gdeim Izik group, who remain imprisoned in Moroccan jails. In response, the faculty administration has threatened expulsion or suspension for some of the students involved, citing violations of university regulations.
In a statement published by SaharaRepublic.com, the Sahrawi Student Committee at Ibn Zohr strongly condemned the disciplinary measures, describing them as “repressive, retaliatory, and a direct attack on their right to free expression and peaceful advocacy.” The committee held the faculty administration accountable for any consequences that might affect the academic or personal lives of the targeted students, asserting that “intimidation tactics will not silence their voices.”
This incident follows a similar episode in April, when three Sahrawi students were summoned for disciplinary hearings after raising the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic during a campus event marking the 49th anniversary of its founding. Moroccan police had also intervened at that time to disperse the demonstration, which called for the release of Sahrawi political detainees.
The recurrence of such incidents has raised concern among activists and observers about the increasing pressure on Sahrawi student activism. Many fear that Moroccan universities are becoming arenas for suppressing voices that advocate for self-determination and human rights in Western Sahara.
