Sahrawi activist and journalist Braika Bahi has revealed a harrowing campaign of systematic retaliation aimed at silencing his voice. Bahi, a member of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) Television team and an environmental activist, described a dual strategy of physical violence and economic extortion employed by the Moroccan occupation against him and his fellow Sahrawi activists.
In a video interview with Equipe Media, Bahi stated that following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797 in late October 2025, he was subjected to public assault and torture on Smara Street by paramilitary patrols. He identified the leaders of these units as two Moroccan police officers nicknamed “the American” and “Zald al-Touhima,” both notorious for their involvement in a series of heinous human rights violations in occupied Western Sahara. This public assault follows previous incidents where Bahi was abducted and tortured in rural areas outside the city.
The retaliation has now extended to the activist’s family. In March 2025, Moroccan authorities suspended his mother’s monthly salary, explicitly stating that it would not be restored unless Bahi ceased his social media activism or chose to emigrate. Bahi described this as a “calculated policy of collective punishment” designed to isolate activists from their families and communities.
“The occupation is using my mother’s livelihood as a bargaining chip,” Bahi stated in the video, reaffirming his commitment to continuing his peaceful struggle despite the escalating risks.
