Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2005 - Mauritania

Judicial proceedings and provisional release of several members of the Association of Detainees' Families⁵⁹

On 4 January 2005, Mrs. El Moumne Mint Mohamed Elemine, Mrs. Raky Fall, Mrs. Khadijetou Mint Maghlah, Mrs. Teslem Mint Oumar, Mrs. Fatimetou Mint Khaya, Mrs. Mariem Fall Mint Chenouve, Mrs. Meye Mint Hamady and Mrs. Fatma Mint Hamady, members of the Association of Detainees' Families (Collectif des Familles de détenus), were released on parole by the Public Prosecutor's office of the Trarza Regional Court. The women's lawyers had applied for their release on that date since the one-month warrant of commitment for the women had expired on 30 December 2004.

They had been held in the women's prison in Nouakchott since 21 and 22 November 2004, the opening day of the "trials against the putschists", the alleged perpetrators of the attempted coup d'Etat of 8 and 9 June 2003. These women, mostly mothers, sisters and wives of the accused, were charged with being caught in the act of "distributing tracts" and "death threats".

The charges lodged against the eight women and against Mrs. Mariem Mint Neyni, also a member of the Collectif, who had been released on parole on 5 December 2004, had not yet been dropped by the end of 2005.

Arbitrary detention and judicial proceedings⁶⁰

On 13 March 2005, Mr. Mohamed Lemine Ould Mahmoudi, a journalist, was arrested while inquiring about cases of slavery in Mederdra village.

On 16 March 2005, he was transferred to the Rosso civil prison, Trarza region, and accused of "offences against national security". He was held in a 3x3 meter prison cell with six other prisoners, some of whom were considered as "very violent". He was allowed neither medical care nor access to a doctor.

In connection with this case, Mrs. Aïchetou Mint El Hadar, a teacher, and Mrs. Moya Mint Boya, wife of an opposition senator and seven months pregnant, both active members of the NGO SOS-Slavery (SOS-Esclaves), were arrested on 13 March 2005 and held in the Nouakchott women's prison. They were accused of "complicity in offences against national security".

Although the Prosecutor tried to block the request for their release, Mr. Diabira Bakary, Minister of Justice, ordered the release of the two women, pronounced by the Court of Appeal on 14 April 2005. However, the judicial proceedings against them were still pending at the end of 2005.

Continued pressure against Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Ould El Hadj Sidi⁶¹

On 25 April 2005, Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Ould El Hadj Sidi, a lawyer and legal adviser to the association SOS-Slaves and an active member of the Mauritanian Association for Human Rights (Association mauritanienne des droits de l'Homme – AMDH) and of the High Education Teachers' Union (Syndicat des enseignants du supérieur), was arrested as part of a large police operation against eleven religious leaders and intellectuals on the grounds that they belonged to a terrorist group. Mr. Ould El Hadj Sidi was taken to the Nouakchott police school, where he was held until 13 May 2005. During his detention he was allowed neither contact with his lawyer, nor with a doctor, nor was he allowed to receive any family visits. No charges were brought against him.

Mr. Ould El Hadj Sidi has been targeted by the Mauritanian authorities since the beginning of the "putschists trial" in November 2004, during which he defended several of the accused. He was also supposed to go to Jordan on 27 April 2005 to attend a conference of the young Arab lawyers unions as the representative of the Mauritanian Section of this union.

[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]

59. See Annual Report 2004 and Urgent Appeal MRT 001/1104/OBS 089.3.

60. See Urgent Appeals MRT 001/0305/OBS 020 and 020.1.

61. See Annual Report 2004 and Urgent Appeal MRT 002/0505/OBS 030.