The Australian Western Sahara Association (AWSA) protested near the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup match between Morocco and Germany on July 24, calling for an end to sport washing.
While AWSA congratulates the Moroccan team for qualifying, for the first time, in the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup, it said it 鈥渟trongly opposes鈥 the joint bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco for the 2030 World Cup.
鈥淭his bid includes a stadium in the Western Sahara, a non-self-governing territory illegally occupied by Morocco.
鈥淢orocco has been guilty of rape and torture of the Saharawis, Sultana Khaya and Luara Khaya 鈥 members of the Saharawi Organ Against Moroccan Occupation.鈥
Morocco is guilty of killing civilians by drones, AWPA said.聽鈥淚f the joint bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco succeeds, this would be tantamount to sports washing these atrocities.鈥
A letter to FIFA鈥檚 President Gianni Infantino from European Union MPs across 13 countries and five political groups also suggested that holding international events, such as football matches, in occupied territories could contravene international law.
The letter suggested that occupying powers are obliged to refrain from exploiting the resources and population of the occupied territory.