Mauritania
Two female opposition lawmakers in Mauritania were sentenced Monday to four years in prison after insulting the president and making claims of racial bias, their lawyers told The Associated Press.
The two women, Mariem Cheikh and Ghamou Achour, were accused of describing President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani on social media as the mentor of "apartheid in Mauritania."
The two are members of the human rights group, the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement.
They were charged last month with “attacking the symbols of the state” and “calling for gatherings with a view to undermine public security."
The two lawmakers had called in several social media posts for Ghazouani's removal and accused the Arab-dominated justice system of treating Black citizens and descendants of slaves as second-class citizens.
In its decision late on Monday, the court in the capital Nouakchott also ordered the removal of digital content, the confiscation of their phones and the closure of their online accounts.
The lawmakers’ attorneys — Mohamed Ould Ahmed Miske, Yaghoub Ould Sèïf and Moctar Ould Ely — confirmed the verdict of the trial at a criminal court in the capital Nouakchott to the AP. The government has not commented on the conviction.
Long-lasting impact of slavery
The West African nation has long been denounced for human rights abuses, with the continuous existence of slavery casting a long shadow over its history.
For centuries, the country’s economic and political elite of Arab and Amazigh people enslaved Black people from the northwest Sahara.
Mauritania outlawed slavery in 1981, the last country in the world to do so. But the practice continues, human rights groups say, with around 149,000 people in modern slavery in this nation of less than 5 million, according to the 2023 Global Slavery Index.
Biram Dah Abeid, leader of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement coalition group, condemned the trial as unjust and politically motivated, calling the two lawmakers “heroes” and “sincere fighters against injustice,” at a news conference after the verdict.
The lawmakers are with the coalition, which is not a registered political party but allied with the registered Sawab party to help them get elected.
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Facts Only
* Two female opposition lawmakers in Mauritania were sentenced to four years in prison.
* The sentencing followed accusations of insulting the president and making claims of racial bias.
* The women, Mariem Cheikh and Ghamou Achour, were accused of describing President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani on social media as the mentor of "apartheid in Mauritania."
* They were charged last month with “attacking the symbols of the state” and “calling for gatherings with a view to undermine public security.”
* The court ordered the removal of digital content, confiscation of their phones, and closure of their online accounts.
* The two women are members of the human rights group, the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement.
* The court decision was made in the capital Nouakchott.
* The Mauritanian state outlawed slavery in 1981.
* Human rights groups estimate around 149,000 people are in modern slavery in Mauritania, according to the 2023 Global Slavery Index.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The legal action against the lawmakers, rooted in accusations of historical racial oppression and contemporary human rights abuses, reflects a confrontation between state authority and demands for recognition of marginalized identities. The framing of the charges—using terms like "apartheid" and accusing the justice system of systemic bias against Black citizens and descendants of slaves—suggests a struggle to redefine the legal and political space. The simultaneous action of the court ordering the removal of digital content and confiscating phones underscores a judicial attempt to control the narrative and the mechanisms of dissent, prioritizing state security and digital order over free expression.
The historical context of slavery, which continues to impact the Mauritanian nation, provides a deep foundation for the claims of racial and systemic injustice. This pattern illustrates how state power is often exercised by inscribing historical and systemic inequalities into contemporary legal and social structures. The conflict here is not merely about two individuals, but about the tension between an official, state-sanctioned historical narrative and the reality experienced by communities suffering from ongoing marginalization.
This situation highlights how digital spaces are becoming crucial sites for challenging established power structures. The response—the punitive measures taken against the lawmakers and the seizure of their communications—raises important questions about the boundaries of free speech and the state’s control over information flow. It prompts reflection on how systems of justice address claims of oppression and whether the mechanisms used to enforce order inadvertently perpetuate historical inequalities.