Ait Melloul Prison is a political prison, for opponents to the Moroccan regime, especially the Sahrawi and the Riffian people. Famous political detainees are: * Ali Salem Tamek, a Sahrawi activist for the independence of his country (Western Sahara). * Aichatou Ramdan Chafii, Ali Salem Tamek's wife who stated later: ..They threatened of killing my little daughter. But what is bitter is that they took off all my clothes, raped me all of them and disgracefully urinated on me.. * Abdelkarim Azzou was tortured in this same prison, and detained without a trial for more than 2 years. He was 22 years old when he was arrested in 2002. * Ali Lmrabet, a Rifian journalist who was detained in Ait Melloul, he was later transferred. Ali was sentenced to four years of prison for insult to the Kin