Comment on Mauritania by Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

21 August 2015

We are disappointed that the appeals court in Aleg yesterday missed an opportunity to correct a lower court verdict and sentence against anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid and his two co-defendants, Brahim Bilal Ramdhane and Djiby Sow. The case stemmed from a demonstration on 11 November last year in Rosso in the southwest of the country, following which the three men were charged with participating in a non-armed rebellion and belonging to an unregistered organisation. They were convicted in January this year and sentenced to two years in jail. Yesterday’s appeal court session took place in the absence of the defendants and their lawyer, who boycotted the proceedings.

The UN Human Rights Office in Mauritania has been closely following the case and has repeatedly called for an independent investigation into the events of the day, but this call has gone unheeded. We again urge the authorities to ensure such a thorough investigation, and to immediately release Biram Dah Abeid and his co-defendants, who we believe have been imprisoned for exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and association.

ENDS