The secretary general of the Polisario Front appeared for the first time on Tuesday before the Spanish courts. Brahim Ghali, who has been hospitalized since April in Logroño, denied all allegation, OK Diario reported, citing informed sources. Ghali, who decided to appear before the court, responded through his lawyer Manuel Ollé. The sources of the Spanish media explain that he has «denied all the accusations of genocide, torture and kidnapping brought against him». The plaintiffs requested the detention of Brahim Ghali or withdrawal of his passport so that he could not leave Spain. However, the magistrate of the National Hearing did not accept either of the two requests. The prosecutor Pedro Torrijos, for his part, asked the leader of the separatist movement to provide an address in Spain, «a telephone number» and remain at «the disposal of the Spanish justice», República de las Ideas reported. The defense of the Polisario leader asked for the case to be dismissed. Manuel Ollé thus assured that his client «affirms that the reason for these complaints is absolutely political in an attempt to undermine the credibility of the Saharawi people». According to the Spanish press, there are currently three complaints against Brahim Ghali, in addition to a complaint filed by 281 Spanish victims which has not yet been processed. During the hearing on Tuesday, Brahim Ghali was only questioned about two of the complaints: that of journalist and blogger Fadel Breika, who claims to have been tortured in the refugee camps as well as that of the Sahrawi Association for the defense of human rights, which accuses him of genocide, kidnapping and torture. A third complaint, relating to the alleged rape of a young woman, however, was not addressed, it is specified.
