Campaigners have joined civil society organisations and governments including the US State Department in welcoming the announcement of the second round of informal talks on the Western Sahara due to take place February 10-11, 2010. But they have also called for the release of 7 prominent Western Saharan human rights activists facing treason charges in Moroccan military courts.

The US State Department issued a statement yesterday in which it said:
"We call upon the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. The United States maintains full support for the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Ambassador Chris Ross, in their efforts to reach a mutually-agreed solution."

Stefan Simanowitz, chair of the global campaign, the Free Western Sahara Network endorsed the new round of talks but today called for the release of the seven human rights activists arrested in Casablanca on 8th October after returning from a visit to the refugee camps in the Algerian desert and are awaiting sentence from a military court in Rabat.

"Despite many attempts to break the long-running diplomatic stalemate, progress towards a resolution has been tortuously slow. Whilst informal negotiations without preconditions and in good faith, are welcome, the fact that the Casablanca seven - Ahmed Alansari, Brahim Dahane, Yahdih Ettarouzi, Saleh Labihi, Dakja Lashgar, Rachid Sghir and Ali Salem Tamek - are still awaiting trial, makes this difficult. They belong to a number of human rights organizations and civil society groups and have long track records of monitoring of and reporting on human rights violations in Western Sahara. We believe that all seven should be released immediately. Failing this they should be given proper legal representation and international legal observers should be permitted to visit them in prison and observe their trial."