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Moroccan police justified a brutal beating. Video contradicts their narrative. | The Fact Checker
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March 12, 2020
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7:11Now PlayingWestern Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa with a population of more than 600,000. Morocco controls three-quarters of the region and maintains a heavy security presence over Sahrawis, an ethnic group indigenous to Western Sahara and the surrounding region. The rest of the region is controlled by the POLISARIO, a pro-independence movement.
Sahrawis live under Moroccan surveillance and a media blackout encompasses the territory. However, some self-identified media activists post videos online of how Moroccan authorities treat Sahrawis in Western Sahara.
Walid Elbatal identifies as a media activist - someone who films and uploads videos and photos of Moroccan police violence online. He was on his way to cover a reception celebrating the release of a political prisoner on June 7, 2019, in the Moroccan-controlled city of Smara. Moroccan police surrounded the reception, as is typical at these events.
A disturbing video captured Moroccan police brutally beating and then arresting Elbatal. Moroccan authorities justified the incident by saying the car Elbatal was in collided with police. Video, images and eyewitness testimony from that day refute that narrative. This incident illustrates the extent to which the Moroccan government exerts control over its territories and Sahrawis in Western Sahara. The Fact Checker’s investigation verifies the visual evidence and uncovers a pattern of human rights abuses that often go unchecked. Read moreSubscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube
Producers & Reporters: Sarah Cahlan & Elyse Samuels; Animator: Atthar Mirza; Senior Producers: Nadine Ajaka & Glenn Kessler; Additional Reporting: Linah Mohammad; Additional Visual Verification: UC Berkeley Human Rights Center Lab, Sam Albillo, Farah Dewan, Michael Elsanadi, Ceren Fitoz, Yudi Sabina Nong, John Ortilla, Vyoma Raman, Juan Rivera; Additional Visual Verification: Dominique Lewis, Nick Shafer, Jade Wynn, Nika Hajikhodaverdikhan, Brenna Smith; Footage & Images: Smara News, Equipe Media, Nushatta, Associated Press, Al Qassam Group, Getty Images; Additional video: Whitney Shefte; Special Thanks: Watching Western Sahara
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