“Rabouni Prison” is another manifestation of the violations in the Tindouf camps

rassd almaghrebe/Investigation

In the heart of the Algerian desert, specifically within the Sahrawi refugee camps in the Rabouni region, the political and administrative headquarters of the Polisario Front, lies an unofficial prison known among Sahrawis as “Rabouni Prison.” This name has become synonymous with enforced disappearance and the suppression of dissenting voices. It is a prison without a sign or law

This prison has no known building or identifying marks, and it is under the supervision of the Algerian Ministry of Justice or any recognized judicial authority. Rather, it is a secret detention center run by members of the Polisario Front, often in coordination with the Algerian military intelligence service, according to consistent testimonies obtained by independent human rights sources

This prison is not merely a place of detention; it is a tool to silence anyone who dares to express a dissenting opinion within the camps. The charges are not specific and do not require evidence. “Political suspicion” is sufficient to deprive a person of their freedom. Those arrested there are not granted the right to a trial or defense, do not meet with a lawyer, and are not brought before a judge. They are simply taken away and then disappeared. So who are the detainees?

The victims come from various segments of Sahrawi society. They include opponents within the Polisario Front itself, activists calling for reconciliation with the Kingdom of Morocco, individuals criticizing the rampant corruption within the structures of the self-proclaimed “state,” young men suspected of communicating with foreign countries or of transmitting information that exposes the situation inside the camps, and even family members of the Front’s leaders, if they deviate from the line or express sympathy for the oppressed.

One activist who managed to escape abroad testified: “You can be arrested for remaining silent when applause should have been, or for saying something commonplace in a wrongful assembly, where judgment is based on intent or denunciation.”

Human rights reports, along with rare testimonies from survivors, confirm that physical and psychological torture inside Rabouni prison is systematic. Detainees are forced to remain in inhumane conditions, denied contact with their families, and subjected to prolonged interrogation, accompanied by beatings and humiliation. Worse still, the fate of a number of detainees remains unknown. Their whereabouts are unknown, and their families are not allowed to inquire about them. Some have even disappeared without a trace for years

The Algerian authorities, for their part, deny the existence of such centers, despite being the sovereign authority responsible for the territory under international law, given that the camps are located within Algerian territory. This silence is seen as a form of complicity, or at least as deliberate neglect of what is happening within this area, which is closed to the media and international scrutiny

Human rights organizations are now calling for an independent international investigation into these violations and for international monitoring committees to be allowed into the Tindouf camps, especially given the recurring reports indicating a continuing pattern of repression and enforced disappearances without any fair judicial process

Rabouni Prison is not just a place of detention. It is a living symbol of the dark reality faced by many Sahrawis in camps that are supposed to be havens for displaced persons, not detention centers for criminals. Unless the wall of silence surrounding these violations is broken, justice will remain elusive, and free voices will continue to pay a heavy price