[M-net] The Mauritanian executive branch persists on wrongfully accusing prisoners of opinion

[Mohamed Aly O. Louly]

Mauritanian Human Rights Watch

April 2006

The Mauritanian executive branch persists on wrongfully accusing prisoners of
opinion 
 
It is the responsibility of the MHRW to accurately inform the national and
international community, about the prisoners of opinion the Mauritanian
executive accuses of violence and connection with extremist groups. 
There is indeed no controversy over the fact that these are mainly innocent
imams, who have been arrested a year ago by the ousted regime of Ould Taya. It
is also known that the former regime's goal behind these arrests, was to create
the belief of a terrorist threat in Mauritania and enjoy, as a consequence,
some political and financial support from the United States of America. 
 
The charges are pure fabrication, and are almost laughable for whoever knows
the strictly peaceful activities of the oldest among the prisoners, namely the
scholars Sheik Nawawi, director of the traditional university of "Bir Al-Khaïr"
and Imam Abdallahi Ould Aminou, who is in charge of cultural and charity
activities at the Al-Ikhlas mosque. It is to be noted that, right after the
regime change, these prisoners of opinion had been granted a provisional
release, ordered by the magistrate in charge of their case. It is regrettable
however that, in obvious violation of the law, this decision remains for seven
months, blocked by the Attorney General of the supreme court. It is even more
unfortunate that the executive branch continues in its violation of the duty of
restraint and persists in following the views of the former regime; views
already stigmatized by the report of the CRISIS GROUP. 
No wonder how we find ourselves today facing a situation of mere injustice,
where twenty prisoners of opinion, already subjected to unspeakable torture
during the reign of the ousted regime, are locked up without trial. 
 
These prisoners of opinion still suffer today from various disabilities as a
consequence of torture. Some of them cannot even sit down properly. They endure
unbearable pain by merely trying so.
Doctor's visit when granted, is carried out under an imposing military escort,
creating a climate in which the frustrated doctor gives up thorough examination
and ends up prescribing regular pain relief drugs.
 
These prisoners have never been allowed exercising for the two daily hours
granted by the law. Denying such a right is denying prisoners a rare moment of
fresh air, a human body requires.  It is also unfortunate that these prisoners
are continuously under the surveillance of two monitoring camcorders, which
remain directed at them, even during the visit of their wives; depriving them
of any sense of privacy. 
 
The MHRW who follows the case closely:
 
- Condemns the executive branch's persistence in continuing its false
accusations, the obvious objective behind which is moral justification for the
imprisonment, beyond all the legal limits, of these prisoners of opinion. 
 
- Is offended by the conditions of detention and the treatment inflicted to
people already subjected to torture, while at the same time their torturers
openly continue to exercise their "duties" against other unfortunate victims. 
 
- Accuses the Attorney General of the supreme court, of breaking the law by his
blocking, for seven months, of the provisional decision of release granted by
the magistrate in charge of the case.
 
- Calls upon the Minister of Justice to take his responsibility in the
reinstatement in their rights of these prisoners of opinion.
 
- Calls upon the Human Rights Organizations to resist being intimidated by the
gravity of the charges made by the executive branch ; and invites them to take
their responsibility in defending oppressed people no matter what "crime" of
opinion they are accused of. 
 
- Calls upon all the active voices of our people to pay attention to the
importance of this injustice and its effect on the future of basic rights in
our country.  It would be a serious mistake to let the rush over the elections
make us forget our duty of solidarity with those among our citizens who have
been tortured and deprived of their freedom.

Mauritanian Human Rights Watch



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