location: Laayoune / El Aaiun
notes: Protesters, aged between 17 and 31, were arrested on May 9 in connection with a major pro-independence protest five days earlier in Laayoune, the main city in the disputed territory, which turned violent. The youngest, El Hussein Bah, told Amnesty that the police had 'tortured him, threatened him with rape and forced him to sign papers, including a confession which he was not allowed to read.'
target_text: location: Laayoune / El Aaiun, fatalities: 0