GENERAL
Former President sentenced for illicit enrichment
On 14th May 2025, the former Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced on appeal by the Nouakchott Court of Appeal to fifteen years’ imprisonment and a $3 million fine for, among other things, ‘illicit enrichment’, ‘money laundering’ and ‘influence peddling’. The court also ordered the dissolution of the “Errahma” (Mercy) Foundation, run by Aziz’s son, and authorised the seizure of its assets. In December 2023, in first instance, the Criminal Court responsible for corruption offences sentenced Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years of imprisonment. Aziz’s lawyers appealed the ruling, but the State also appealed the leniency of that punishment. At the time of his indictment in March 2021, investigators estimated that Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the son of a shopkeeper, had amassed €67 million (78 million USD) in assets and capital during his ten-year rule. Aziz maintained his innocence throughout the trial and described his prosecution as politically motivated.
The rights of migrants are being trampled
Mauritania has become one of the main migration routes for Europe. In 2024 it was also the main country of departure for migrants heading to the Spanish coast. According to a survey conducted by the IOM from 1st to 22nd May 2025 in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and Sélibabi, 47% of the migrants have Malian nationality and 35% have Senegalese nationality. More than 170,000 Malians have settled in the Hodh Chargui region, mainly in the Mbera camp.
In March 2025, a deportation campaign began. This campaign reportedly targeted migrants regardless of whether or not they were in Mauritania legally. Deported migrants recounted police beatings and detentions. NGOs, such as SOS Esclaves, the Federation of Associations and Groups of Senegalese in Mauritania (FAGSEM) and the Mauritanian Human Rights Association (AMDH) expressed concern at the conditions under which these deportations to the borders are carried out. A Senegalese MP called for a parliamentary fact-finding mission into these expulsions in Mauritania. On 26th March 2025, the Government of Mali expressed its indignation and condemned the treatment suffered by its nationals in Mauritania.
The Mauritanian Human Rights Association also denounced the responsibility of the European Union and the countries that have signed agreements with Mauritania to control migration. According to the organisation, “These agreements indirectly encourage repressive and inhumane practices on our territory, turning Mauritania into a bulwark against migration flows. By outsourcing migration management, these states bear some responsibility for the human rights violations committed in Mauritania”. The outsourcing of migration managament usually lacks oversight and accountability, leaving ample scope for abuses and limiting civil society’s ability to monitor.
On 27th August 2025, Human Rights Watch released an extensive report on human rights violations committed against migrants and asylum seekers between 2020 and early 2025 that reaches a similar conclusion. It finds that, between 2020 and early 2025, Mauritanian security forces committed serious human rights violations, mainly against West and Central African migrants and asylum seekers. The 142-page report, entitled “‘They Accused Me of Trying to Go to Europe’: Migration Control Abuses and EU Externalization in Mauritania”, documents abuses during border and migration control, including torture, rape, sexual harassment; arbitrary arrests and detention; inhumane detention conditions; racist treatment; extortion and theft; and summary and collective expulsions. Despite these violations, the European Union and Spain, bilaterally, have continued to outsource migration management to Mauritania. The report also notes that the government took recent steps that may improve protection for migrants.
In September 2025, an event once again drew attention to the treatment of migrants and sparked strong reactions online. On 19th September 2025, Mauritanian writer Ibrahim Ba was arbitrarily arrested near the French Embassy in Nouakchott, in what Ba describes as a “police lineup”. He was first put in a cell and later transferred to a detention centre for Sub-Saharan immigrants. He described the conditions as difficult and claims he could not contact his family or access his medicines. He was released the next day. On 22nd September 2025, the Directorate General of National Security attempted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest in an official statement. According to the statement, Mr Ba was arrested as part of a routine check targeting unusual movements in a sensitive area and Mr Ba had no identity documents. He was taken to a police station for identification and due to a temporary system malfunction, he was transferred to a centre equipped to continue the checks.
On 26th September 2025, RFI broadcast an appeal from 15 Mauritanian political parties and civil society organisations denouncing “racial profiling and the violation of migrants’ rights in the country”. According to the signatories to the text, the arrest of writer Ibrahima Ba “is indicative of the horror experienced by many sub-Saharan migrants and black Mauritanians.”
EXPRESSION
Arrests of journalists covering a protest and refusing to delete footage
On 2nd September 2025, two journalists were arrested while covering a protest by the gendarmerie. Aboubakar Ould Mohamed Vall and Mohamed Abdallah Ould al-Moustapha, who work for the news website Al Akhbar.info were covering a sit-in by gas distributors in front of the gas company SOMAGAZ, in Nouakchott, when they were stopped by police, who asked them to delete their images. The journalists refused. They were held for three hours before being released without charge.
Detention of journalist for mistaken publication
On 28th August 2025, Ahmed Ould Bettar, the director of the news website Rapide Info was arrested at his home following the mistaken publication of a fake interview with Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Diay, which was published before being validated by the editorial team. Ould Bettar immediately expressed his regret over the incident, confirming his willingness to withdraw the unfinished fictional interview and apologise. He stated that it was an unintentional professional error and that he had never harmed anyone during his career. The article was withdrawn on 29th August. He was detained for four days and released on 1st September 2025.
Even in cases of press offences, custodial sentences are totally disproportionate and should never be imposed on journalists in the course of their duties
- Oussama Bouagila, Advocacy Officer for RSF's North Africa desk
Authorities unilaterally close news outlet
At the beginning of August 2025, the news site Anbaa.info was blocked by the Mauritanian authorities. According to the Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication and Relations with Parliament, the Arabic-speaking news site wants “to deteriorate relations between Mauritania and Algeria.” Cheikh Ahmed Lamine, the editor-in-chief, confirmed that his website was blocked and reported that it did not receive any official response from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority or the High Authority for Press and Audiovisual to understand the reasons for this blocking.
On 25th August 2025, the editor-in-chief of Anbaa.info was informed that a complaint had been filed by the regulator, the High Authority for Press and Audiovisual (HAPA), relayed through the Attorney General’s office against the management of Anbaa.info for failing to comply with a decision taken a month earlier by the Ministry of Communication, which had revoked the site’s licence. After being summoned by the Cybercrime Unit of the police,
the authorities permanently shut down the news website. Contacted by the Media Foundation for West Africa, the editor-in-chief of Anbaa.info stated that they had never officially received the previous month’s directive from the regulator and that their articles had been produced in compliance with journalistic ethics and based on reliable sources. Anbaa.info has decided to challenge the decision through legal means.
Arrest, detention and condemnation of human rights defender
On 22nd January 2025, Ahmed Ould Samba, an anti-slavery activist, was summoned by the anti-cybercrime unit of the police and taken into custody by the prosecutor’s office of the region of West Nouakchott. He had previously been arrested in October 2024 and detained for a month, before being released without any legal proceedings. Ahmed Ould Samba is a member of the NGO SOS-Esclaves.
The public prosecutor requested a two year sentence for Ahmed Ould Samba for remarks made on social networks. Ahmed Ould Samba had posted a Facebook post accusing President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of carrying out “racist and corrupt” policies. On 10th February, the judge of the Sixth Court for Common Law Crimes sent Ould Samba to trial for contempt and invasion of privacy, but did not retain the charges of ‘incitement to racism’ and ‘undermining social cohesion’.
On 29th May 2025, the West Nouakchott Court sentenced the human rights defender to one year in prison, eight months of which must be served. Ould Samba’s lawyers found that "the judicial process was marred by clear irregularities”, including the arbitrary extension of the period of pre-trial detention and the delay in bringing the case to court despite the absence of new evidence. They appealed the decision that contradicts the freedom of opinion, expression and thought.
The appeal was successful. On 28th August 2025, the Nouakchott-West Court of Appeal amended the judgment handed down in May, lifting the remainder of the sentence while confirming the other provisions. The Court of Appeal’s decision thus ended several months of detention for Ould Samba.
Journalist attacked by local businessman
On 26th January 2025, the director of Taqadoumy TV (TTV), Hanefi Ould Dahah, was assaulted by a businessman whom the journalist had mentioned during a TV programme. Ould Dahah had just finished hosting a live programme and had mentioned the award of a controversial public contract to the prominent local businessman. The attacker was apprehended and taken into custody.
Arrest of journalist who questioned a police act on a Facebook post
On 27th July 2025, Ahmed Ould Haroud, journalist and director of the Hassaniya Platform, was arrested in Nouakchott by agents of the national police. Acording to information collected by the Media Foundation for West Africa, Ahmed was stopped at a traffic light by a police officer who reportedly wanted to take the journalist to the police station, using the journalist’s car as their means of transport. Ahmed refused, and in response the officer placed a wheel clamp on the vehicle. The journalist subsequently wrote a Facebook post questioning the legitimacy of the act.
Ahmed was later arrested by agents of the national police. His media outlet, Hassaniya, reported in a Facebook post that the police officer involved had filed a complaint against the journalist, suggesting the reason for his arrest. The journalist’s detention sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from media organisations, civil society and political actors, who denounced this violation of freedom of expression.
Arrest and condemnation of activist for posting a video critical of the treatment of migrants
On 26th April 2025, Ablaye (sometimes Abdoulaye) Bâ was arrested for messages on social media criticising the government's policy towards irregular migrants. In a video he had posted, he called on the Home Secretary to stop the arrests and deportation of undocumented immigrants. Ablaye Bâ is head of immigration issues at the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), an anti-slavery NGO. Bâ was prosecuted under Law No. 2021-021 on the protection of national symbols.
On 12th June 2025, the Criminal Chamber of the Nouakchott West Court found him guilty of incitement to hatred and sentenced Abdoulaye Bâ to one year in prison, six months of which were suspended, and a fine. He was released on 2nd October 2025.
Environmental activist arrested
On 22nd July 2025, environmental activist and blogger Ali Ould Bakkar (sometimes written Bacar) was arrested at his home in Nouadhibou by the Mauritanian gendarmerie. His arrest followed a complaint filed by the Mauritanian Coast Guard, accusing him of fabricating and spreading false information said to damage the reputation of the state and undermine national sovereignty and relations with foreign nations, and for defamation against the maritime surveillance body. He had authored publications on Facebook criticising fishing activities carried out by Turkish foreign vessels in a restricted maritime area. The Coast Guard did not apreciate that the information gave the impression that it was negligent in protecting the territorial waters. After spending two months in detention, on 18th September 2025, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court released Ali Ould Bakkar.
Weak internet services
On 12th September 2025, the Mauritanian telecommunications regulatory authority published a detailed monitoring report on the quality of telecommunications services in the country, after an assessment of performance conducted in July and August 2025. It reveals the “real challenges” facing the quality of telecommunications services in the country, and highlights a notable weakness in the quality of voice services and internet speeds, which the authority considered to be “a factor influencing the daily experience of users” and evidence that citizens continue to suffer from a lack of decent telecommunications services.
Consequently, the Regulatory Authority has formally requested the three major operators to comply with their commitments in terms of voice and data service quality throughout the country.
Regularisation of the contracts of public service broadcasting journalists
On 11th June 2025, the Mauritanian Council of Ministers announced the regularisation of the contracts of 1,865 journalists working in public service broadcasting, television and radio. The journalists have been working for years without contracts and with irregular salaries. The decision has thus been welcomed by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Mauritanian Journalists' Union (SJM) and the Mauritanian Journalists' Association (AJM).
By stabilising the professional situation of journalists, Mauritania is laying the foundations for a stronger, more independent media sector that is better able to play its role as the fourth estate in society.
- Anthony Bellanger, International Federation of Journalists General Secretary
Workshop on digital media
On 2nd January 2025, the Union des Femmes des Médias de Mauritanie (UFMM), in partnership with UNESCO, organised an awareness-raising workshop on digital media and social networks in the town of Atar to promote digital media, particularly among women, and consolidate freedom of expression in Mauritania.
Disinformation campaign
From 9th to 11th July, the President of Mauritania, along with several other African leaders, met the U.S. President in Washington D.C. Since the summit, a false rumour of a popular uprising in Mauritania has gone viral. According to a misleading video viewed millions of times, a large-scale demonstration took place in Nouakchott after a controversial statement made by the President sparked discontent among Mauritanians. Mauritanian authorities have dismissed the reports as baseless. In reality, no such uprising took place. The media outlet RFI conducted a reverse image search and identified the origin of the images used. It is unknown who is behind this disinformation campaign but, according to RFI, this fake news spread shows the direct involvement of pro-Malian accounts.
ASSEMBLY
Excessive use of force during protest
According to the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement, security forces violently dispersed a peaceful protest organised by them in the Teyarett district of Nouakchott on 20th May 2025. The sit-in aimed to support women who were facing unlawful expropriation, allegedly led by a senior officer of the gendarmerie. The event was reported by the Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organisation, which is alarmed by the escalating campaign of repression targeting anti-slavery activists and the Haratin community.
Protests to support detained journalist
On 26th April 2025, the Kavana (Kafana) movement organised a protest in front of the Noauakchott prison to demand the release of the journalist Mohamedi Chenguiti. They denounce the conditions under which journalist Mohamedi Chinguitty, a member of its communications unit, was arrested and brought before the courts.
On 24th July 2025, as Chenguiti's trial resumed, the Kavana Movement protested again in front of the Nouakchott-West Courthouse.
Pro-Palestinian protests
- On 24th May 2025, tens of thousands of women marched from Freedom Square in Nouakchott towards the headquarters of the United Nations representation to express solidarity with Palestinian women and children and to denounce the ongoing siege of Gaza.
- On 18th July, hundreds of Mauritanians protested in Nouakchott to denounce the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip and demand an end to the aggression against the Palestinians. The demonstration started after the Friday prayer in front of the Grand Mosque.
- On 20th July 2025, Mauritanians gathered in front of the US Embassy in Nouakchott to denounce Israel's starvation of the population of the besieged Gaza Strip, as part of a global movement against the starvation in Gaza. The demonstration was organised by political parties and non-governmental organisations. Some participants called for the expulsion of the American ambassador from Nouakchott.
Electricity and water crisis protests
- On 23rd September 2025, residents protested in the city of Aouinet Azbel, in the Hodh Charghi province, to demand an urgent solution to the ongoing electricity crisis. They blocked the town’s main crossroads to denounce recurring power cuts and obsolete electrical equipment.
- On 6th August 2025, members of the National Assembly held a sit-in outside the Ministry of Water and Sanitation in Nouakchott to protest against water shortages in various working-class neighbourhoods of the capital. In the summer of 2025, the capital's population faced an acute water shortage. According to the MPs, the ministry has been unable to resolve the problem and to take action. The Minister of Water and Sanitation subsequently invited the MPs to a meeting at her department.