PRESS RELEASE
Santander, 30 July 2026
The Prosecutor for Human Rights and Democratic Memory of Cantabria, Carlos Yáñez, received this morning at the Public Prosecutor’s Office representatives of the Association of Families of Sahrawi Prisoners and Disappeared (AFAPREDESA) and various organisations committed to the defence of human rights and democratic memory.
Among those present were the president of AFAPREDESA, Abdeslam Aomar, author of the report Sahrawis. The other victims of Francoism and post-Francoism. Memory, forgetfulness and responsibilities of the Spanish State, published by the Hegoa Institute of the University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (EHU) with the support of Euskal Fondoa; Eugenio Sánchez, founding member of AFAPREDESA; the presidents of Cantabria por el Sáhara and Alouda Cantabria, Gabriel Herrería and Ángel Oria, respectively; Raúl Conde, board member for Human Rights and Occupied Territories of Cantabria por el Sáhara; the president of the State Coordinating Body of Solidarity Associations with the Sahara (CEAS-Sahara), Maite Isla; Javier Noriega, from the Cantabrian Observatory for Human Rights in Western Sahara; and Javier Merino, from the memorialist association Desmemoriados.
During the meeting, the situation of Sahrawi victims in relation to Law 20/2022 on Democratic Memory was discussed, highlighting the consequences of the fact that serious human rights violations committed in Western Sahara, when this territory was under Spanish administration, fall outside the scope of the law.
The meeting took place in a climate of dialogue and institutional collaboration, allowing an exchange of views on this issue and confirming the desirability of further analysing a situation that the organisations consider contrary to the spirit of the Democratic Memory Law, as it prevents Sahrawi victims from accessing the mechanisms of recognition, truth, justice and reparation provided for therein.
The participating organisations highly value the receptiveness shown by the Prosecutor and consider this meeting a first step in a work process aimed at ensuring that the principles inspiring the Democratic Memory Law also reach Sahrawi victims, with due respect for institutional channels and the legal system.
MEDIA CONTACT
Abdeslam Aomar (AFAPREDESA): abdeslam.aomar@afapredesa.com
Gabriel Herrería (Cantabria por el Sáhara): 601 032 310