Aminatou Haidar
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2020-079-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2020
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 31.791702
Longitude: -7.09261999999999
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Morocco
- From Region
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Female
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
of the Collectif des Défenseurs Sahraouis des Droits de l’Homme,
- Type of rights defended
- Caste/Ethnic minorities' rights/Racism
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
On 29 November 2019, Ms. Haidar met with the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, the photos of which were posted on social media, and on 2 January 2020 returned to her place of residence after receiving a human rights prize in a ceremony with the Deputy High Commissioner; she attended sessions and events of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva and delivered a statement and participated as a panellist in an NGO side-event. She also met with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN staff members during the session.
- Engagement with UN body
- UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
- UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
- Dates of engagement
- 29 November 2019; March 2020
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- November-December 2019; 11 January 2020
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Morocco; Geneva
- Reprisal information
was the subject of threats, physical attacks and online stigmatization. During her stay abroad, several on-line articles were published reportedly vilifying Ms. Haidar’s work.
On 11 January 2020, Ms. Haidar was reportedly attacked by police officers on her way to a meeting. It was reported that the officers verbally insulted her and her children, and physically assaulted her. While she was physically attacked, one officer allegedly made a reference to her complaining to the UN. 58 . Further, Ms. Haidar was reportedly followed and monitored by different unidentified individuals inside the Palais des Nations
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Defamation / Defamation campaign
- Online harassment
- Surveillance
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Government response dates
- 17 July 2020
- Government response content
overnment responded in detail to the note verbale in connection to the present report. Regarding the case of Ms. Haidar, it refuted the allegations that she is a human rights defender subjected to reprisals, but rather has a political agenda which does not correspond to the mandate of this report. The Government contends that the meeting of Ms. Haidar with the Deputy High Commissioner was not in the latter’s official capacity and that the award ceremony is not a UN event. It also stated that side events of the Human Rights Council are not part of the main programme, and allegations of surveillance can be refuted by video recordings. The Government informs that Ms. Haidar enjoys all her fundamental rights protected by the law, and that she has never filed a complaint with the judiciary or the national human rights commission.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 1
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2021
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The case of Ms. Aminatou Haidar, of the Collectif des Défenseurs Sahraouis des Droits de l’Homme, was included in the 2020 report of the Secretary-General 202 on allegations of threats, attacks and online stigmatization for her ongoing engagement with the UN. On 7 January 2021, special procedures mandate holders addressed allegations of harassment and increased surveillance by police since September 2020 following the establishment by Ms. Haidar of a new association in Laayoune, the Sahrawi Organ against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM). On 29 September 2020, the Public Prosecutor’s Office reportedly ordered the opening of a judicial investigation into ISACOM, alleging that it was undermining Morocco’s territorial integrity (MAR 5/2020).
- On 19 April 2021, the Government responded, noting that Ms. Haidar participated in a meeting on 20 September 2020 in Laayoune in violation of the preventive COVID-19 health measures in place, and that relevant authorities were not notified about the establishment of the new association. The Government stated that, following the meeting, the group called for the commission of acts punishable by criminal legislation and that undermine territorial integrity, which prompted the corresponding judicial inquiry. Regarding the reported surveillance of Ms. Haidar’s residence, the Government noted the deployment of public forces in Laayoune since March 2020 to implement the health emergency plan against the spread of COVID-19, indicating that the deployment was about 200 meters from Ms. Haidar’s home.203
- Followup Trends 0
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Date of follow up 0
- 7 January 2021
- Did the government respond? 0
- Yes
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
- 2022
- Follow up information provided in SG report 1
- The case of Ms. Aminatou Haidar, one of the founders of the Sahrawi Organ against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM), was included in the 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General on allegations of threats, physical attacks, and online stigmatization for her ongoing engagement with the UN. According to information received by OHCHR, during the reporting period, Ms. Haidar continued to engage with United Nations and was the target of physical attacks, constant police monitoring, legal action, and on-line surveillance. In March 2022, forensic evidence from an investigation reportedly showed that Ms. Haidar’s mobile phones were targeted and intercepted by NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware in October and November 2021
- Followup Trends 1
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 1
- Yes