Contact: Sarah Channing Grieboski, FreeMyFamilyNow, 703-597-1102

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is a statement from FreeMyFamilyNow's Founder, Sarah Channing Grieboski, on the continued detention of Sidi Mouloud by Polisario Front and Algerian authorities.

"Forty-nine days ago, Sidi Mouloud was kidnapped by Polisario Front and Algerian authorities. As a police inspector for the Polisario Front and resident in a refugee camp in Tindouf, Algeria, Mouloud saw a way out - and a way home for the Saharawi people.  For over three decades the Western Sahara has been in a tense stand-off. His family knows the pain of sacrifice, separation and the struggle for freedom. His courageous words should inspire us all.

"Yesterday, we were alerted that his father Salma Ismaili Sidi Mouloud had also been detained by Algerian authorities who confiscated his passport. He and his son Mohammed were held for more than eight hours. They were en route to Tindouf to see Sidi's wife and children, including an infant daughter Sidi has never seen due to this unjust detention. Algerian officials eventually expelled Salma Ismaili and Mohammed from Algiers and sent them back to Madrid, Spain.

"I condemn these acts by Polisario Front officials and Algerian authorities. On behalf of the FreeMyFamilyNow board, I am calling on their representatives in the United States to explain the continued detention of Sidi Mouloud and the mistreatment of his 83 year old father. In the interest of expediting justice, I hope the State Department and Secretary Clinton will demand a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding Sidi Mouloud's detention. As Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have been actively monitoring this case, I hope the International Committee for the Red Cross will be afforded access to Sidi. Reports of his health deteriorating as a result of being shot while attempting to escape are most troubling."

Background:
August 2010: Sidi Mouloud, a police inspector for the Polisario Front, spoke in favor of the Moroccan proposal for Western Sahara autonomy, vowing to take this message of hope and settlement of the three decades long conflict to his fellow Saharawi in the Tindouf, Algeria refugee camps.

September 21: Mouloud was arrested and detained, purportedly for espionage and other charges by the Polisario Front. His location and the conditions of his detention have never been made public, nor verified independently.

October 8: The Polisario Front claimed to release Mouloud. Again, this information has not been verified. Mr. Mouloud's family has not spoken with him since his capture and unjust detention by the Polisario Front and Algerian authorities.

October 31: Reports that Sidi Mouloud was shot in the leg attempting to escape surfaced. The Polisario Front and Algerian authorities refuse to allow independent verification, again.

FreeMyFamilyNow is a woman-centered non-partisan, non-profit, international organization working on behalf of families suffering imprisonment, torture, systematic rape, human trafficking, abuse, and other violations of human rights and human dignity. 

FreeMyFamilyNow educates the general public about the ongoing abuses suffered by families and advocates on their behalf through interaction with government leaders, business leaders, NGOs, and others. 

For additional information, please contact Sarah Channing Grieboski at 703.597.1102 or visit our website for further information. freemyfamilynow.org