This weekend, October 30-31, the President of WFDY and Coordinator of the International Organizing Committee of the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students, comrade Tiago Vieira, was expelled from Morocco by the national authorities without any consistent explanation.

Comrade Tiago entered Morocco on October 30 to visit the occupied territories of Western Sahara, Laayoune, where, during the last week, the Saharawi people’s protest against the occupation has been under siege by the Moroccan army - that, as part of its regular tortures and murders of Saharawi activists, has killed a 14 year old boy.Just after his plane landed in Laayoune, after transiting in Casablanca, comrade Tiago was prevented to get out of the aircraft for alleged “irregularities in the process of entry the country”. After discussing with the authorities the so called “irregularities”, reviewing step by step the process of entry in Morocco (which is for European Union member countries’ citizens is a simple free visa upon arrival, with no questions), the Moroccan police officers shifted to the justification, saying then that they were only “following orders”, but providing no other reason, for what ended up being the forced return of comrade Tiago to Casablanca.

Once in Casablanca, comrade Tiago was deprived from his passport and detained in a room of the airport alongside with several other people that were there stuck due to problems of immigration. 12 hours after, with no further justification or comment than the usual “just following orders”, the Moroccan authorities escorted comrade Tiago to a plane and forced him to go back to Lisbon (from where he had came to Casablanca), even though his actual return flight was scheduled only for the next day.

This unfair and unjustified deportation of comrade Tiago represents yet another sign of the state of Morocco’s policy of attack to the rights of the Saharawi people and youth and those who are in solidarity with them. By expelling the representative of WFDY from the country, the Moroccan authorities have confirmed their disrespect for the democratic traditions of an organization that is Peace Messenger Award by the United Nations, keeping operational relations with UNESCO, that has members in more than 120 countries and 65 years of struggle against fascism, racism and colonialism - particularly the Spanish and French colonialism, so well known by the Moroccan people itself.

Made to discourage and frustrate our solidarity, this shameful act from the Moroccan government deserves from WFDY its total condemnation and public denounce.
In this moment, when it is clearer than ever that only the struggle can ensure a decent, sovereign, free and independent future to the Saharawi people and youth, WFDY calls upon all its member organizations to denounce this episode by all means possible and to reinforce even further, in all ways possible, the solidarity towards the suffering people of Western Sahara and the denounce of the oppression they suffer from its occupier, the state of Morocco.