In this context, CSPRON plays an essential role in raising public awareness of the environmental and social issues linked to the exploitation of natural resources during a period of conflict. The organisation advocates for sustainable and equitable management of these resources, while taking into account the rights of local populations, particularly those of the Sahrawi people. Sid’ Ahmed actively participated in several demonstrations in favour of Western Saharan independence, highlighting several environmental issues linked to the exploitation of natural resources. His first arrest took place in 1999 in El Aaiun, where he was imprisoned for participating in peaceful demonstrations calling for fundamental rights for the Sahrawi people. That arrest was marked by police violence and a lack of fair judicial procedure. In 2005, he was arrested again — this time for organising peaceful protests and speaking out on human rights issues. His arrest generated a wave of international support and raised concerns about the repression of dissident voices in Western Sahara.

The defining moment of his journey is linked to the Gdeim Izik camp, established in October 2010 by Sahrawis wishing to express their social and political grievances. On 25 December 2010, Sid’ Ahmed Lemjeyid was detained by Moroccan police officers in plain clothes in El Aaiun. After his arrest, he was transferred to an unknown location where he allegedly underwent violent interrogations and acts of torture. According to his lawyers, these interrogations — which lasted several days — focused primarily on political questions, with no direct reference to the Gdeim Izik camp, underscoring the authorities’ intent to break any form of resistance. 

On November 8, 2010, a police operation was carried out to evacuate the Gdeim Izik camp, drawing international attention and triggering violence. Sid’ Ahmed Lemjeyid maintains that he was not present in the camp that day, stating that he had only visited it as a human rights activist to speak with people about their demands and their suffering. On February 17, 2013, a Moroccan military tribunal in Rabat sentenced him to life imprisonment. This sentence was upheld by the Salé Court of Appeal on July 19, 2017. On 16th September 2017, all members of the Gdeim Izik group, including Lemjeyid, were transferred to various prisons across Morocco. Sid’ Ahmed was sent to Ait Mellou Prison, located 600 km from El Aaiun, thereby separating the prisoners from their families and potential support networks. He claims to have signed confessions under duress and has consistently denied any connection to the Gdeim Izik camp, stressing that he had been arrested because of his status as a Sahrawi activist raising public awareness of the environmental and social issues linked to the exploitation of natural resources in the region. In November 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion holding that the imprisonment of the 18 Sahrawis making up the Gdeim Izik group — including Lemjeyid — has no legal basis and is contrary to Articles 3 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and therefore constitutes arbitrary detention. On this occasion of the 2026 Night of Vigil, ACAT-France reaffirms its opposition to life imprisonment — a sentence that raises important questions in terms of human rights and is considered contrary to the right to rehabilitation and social reintegration. International conventions, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Morocco is a party, insist on respect for human dignity, even for those who have committed crimes.