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On 19 February 2012 the Moroccan authorities in the city of Al Ayoun in Western Sahara barred the AMDH branch in the region from organising a rally a few days after its member Yousuf Abu Hilala was attacked by security officials.

AMDH (Moroccan Human Rights Association) is one of the leading human rights groups in Morocco and has suffered a series of restrictions, attacks and harassment since 20 February 2011 including verbal and physical attacks on its officials and members and imposing restrictions on its activities in Morocco and Western Sahara. See previous Front Line Defenders urgent appeal dated 29 November 2011(http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/16701).

On 19 February 2012, security forces including plain-clothes officers cordoned off the offices of AMDH and the streets leading up to the building to stop the peaceful protest rally. The event had been organised to commemorate the first anniversary of the 20 February Movement which advocates for human rights and democratic change in Morocco. The rally, which was scheduled to take place at 6 o'clock in the evening could not take place due to the restrictions imposed by the authorities.

On 14 February 2012, Mr Yousuf Abu Hilala was physically attacked in Sale town near Rabat, while attending the demolition by the authorities of houses in the village of Al Qaryah in Sale as an independent observer in the context of his human rights work. The attack was reported to have been carried out by security officers in plain-clothes in the presence of security officials led by the area commander. Yousuf Abu Hilala was injured and taken to hospital for treatment.

Following a plenary meeting of AMDH's Central Bureau on the eve of the international day of social justice, which took place on 20 February 2012, AMDH resolved to hold a one day hunger strike to protest against continued human rights violations in Morocco. The hunger strike which is observed today, 22 February 2012, takes the form of a peaceful sit-in protest at the Martyrs Square in front of the premises of the National Human Rights Council in the capital Rabat. It was organised to express solidarity with Moroccan political prisoners on hunger strike in a number of prisons in the country, and to protest against unfair trials, torture, arbitrary detention and the government's "deaf ear" policy regarding the complaints and communications of AMDH with government officials on these violations.

Front Line Defenders is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of members of AMDH particularly in light of the attack against Yousuf Abu Hilala. Front Line Defenders believes that the banning of the 19 February 2012 rally is solely related to the human rights activities of AMDH and constitutes a blatant restriction on the right to freedom of assembly. Front Line Defenders is concerned about the restrictions imposed on AMDH and the right to freedom of assembly as well as the recurrent attacks and harassment of AMDH members and the lack of response on the part of Moroccan authorities regarding human rights concerns raised by AMDH with government officials.