Statement from Farida Aarrass on the result obtained by her brother Ali after 28 days of hunger strike and 9 days of thirst strike (translation Frances Webber, see picture of Frances and Farida)
My very dear friends,
The long-awaited phone call from Ali Aarrass finally came on Wednesday evening, 7 August 2013, at 18.53.
Ali made an official announcement that he was ending his hunger strike. He was with a member of the National Human Rights Committee (CNDH) who asked to speak to me, and promised that Ali’s rights would be respected, that it was the Committee’s mission to monitor this and that an agreement had been reached with the prison authorities. A written declaration was to be prepared in French, setting out all the demands for which Ali had undertaken the strike, the fact that he was only asking for his rights, for nothing out of the ordinary. After reading, it would be signed by the three parties: the prison authorities, the CNDH and Ali himself.
Ali then told me that he was ending the hunger strike. You can imagine our joy!
That said, the press release has not yet been prepared, but we have the promise of the CNDH that it would be settled in a short time and that Ali already enjoys his rights. I asked the CNDH representative how Ali was. His health? He told me that Ali is getting better and has been put in the care of the prison doctors.
Ali expressed infinite gratitude to those who have mobilised in Belgiaum and everywhere in the world to support his struggle. He wishes you all a very good end of Ramadan holiday.
For our part, as agreed we are stopping the action ‘One hour for Ali’ and once again thank everyone who took part. Their presence was a huge comfort to us.
I ask everyone to continue to write to Ali, particularly now that we have a guarantee that he will be able to read his letters.
I’ll be visiting my brother in the next two weeks. With the support committee, I will invite everyone to an evening to thank you all on my return from Morocco, when we will discuss how to continue the struggle for his release and his return to us.
Farida Aarrass
