(AI Translated) Hussein Al-Zawi is among the Sahrawi political prisoners who have received long, unjust prison sentences because of their participation in the organization of the Sahrawi displaced persons camp, Akdim Izzik, on the outskirts of the occupied city of Laayoune, and the subsequent arrests and trials before Moroccan courts.

Hussein Al-Zawi was born on 10 January 1975 in Laayoune, Western Sahara. He is married and the father of three daughters. He was arrested on 2 December 2010 in Laayoune because of his membership in the dialogue committee of the Sahrawi displaced persons camp. His arrest occurred in the context of events that took place in the camp, which ended with a military intervention by the Moroccan occupying forces, the dismantling of the camp, and subsequent arrests and judicial proceedings affecting a number of Sahrawis.

Al-Zawi underwent a series of procedures and trials before the military court in Salé, Morocco, and the Court of Appeal in the same city, from 13 February 2013 to 17 July 2017. These proceedings took place under conditions far from the standards of a fair trial and resulted in a sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.

During his detention, the Sahrawi political prisoner Hussein Al‑Zawi was transferred among several Moroccan penitentiary institutions, including Salé Local Prison 1, Salé Local Prison 2, Arjat Local Prison 1, and the central prison in Kenitra.

Al‑Zawi reported that, during the investigation and detention phase, he was subjected to practices that violated human dignity. According to his statement, he endured physical and psychological torture and also reported sexual assault, aimed at pressuring him to sign reports that he was not allowed to review or verify their contents.

In protest of his detention conditions and what he describes as a file of practices that violate human dignity, Hussein Al‑Zawi undertook several hunger strikes during his imprisonment. One of these strikes lasted 19 days, as part of his protests related to his detention conditions and his human‑rights demands. Available information also indicates that he currently suffers from several chronic health problems, including asthma and digestive disorders.