This update covers developments relating to the freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression in Mauritius from 1st January 2025 to 1st October 2025.
GENERAL
Former Prime Minister arrested on money laundering charges
On 15th February 2025, Mauritius’ Financial Crimes Commission arrested former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth along with two prominent business people on money laundering charges. Jugnauth’s administration spanned the years 2017 to 2024. The Financial Crimes Commission said it had seized suitcases of cash and luxury watches from a number of locations. The legal basis for the provisional charge remains unclear to the public. He was questioned for several hours and then released on bail.
Chagos Islands agreement with no reparations envisaged for Chagossians
On 22nd May 2025, the UK government announced it was formally transferring the Chagos Islands’ sovereignty to Mauritius. The Chagos Archipelago comprises about 60 individual islands which were separated from Mauritius in 1965 and remained under British control.
The UK has signed a £3.4bn (4.6bn USD) deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while retaining control of a UK-US military base on Diego Garcia - the largest of the islands. The UK will lease Diego Garcia for 99 years for £101m (USD 136 million) a year. The military base built by the U.S. on Diego Garcia forcibly removed thousands of people from their homes. In recent decades, the publication of official documents has allowed the country to uncover the forced displacements and discriminatory treatment of Chagossians. The deal does not contain any right for Chagossians to return. According to the agreement “Mauritius will be free to arrange for resettlement of Chagossians on all the islands of the archipelago except Diego Garcia”. The UN expressed its concern about the lack of meaningful participation of Chagossians and urged the UK to “apply a human rights-based approach in addressing historical injustices against the Chagossian people.”
The deal had been negotiated by the former government. When the new government took power in November 2024, it reopened negotiations on the agreement, seeking more financial compensation.
The "Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill" passed on 9th September 2025 in the UK, ratifying Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago and providing financial support to the Mauritian government and the Chagossian community.
Secret mass electronic surveillance system operated in Mauritius
On 4th February 2025, Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam revealed that he had halted a mass surveillance system, allegedly operated by the previous government. Concerns about state surveillance were raised in October 2024, following a series of leaked recordings of phone conversations involving politicians, journalists and diplomats. According to the findings of an investigation carried out by the Mauritian police and international cybersecurity experts, the system used advanced interception technology capable of monitoring phone calls and social media communications across the country.
Annual report of National Human Rights Commission
On 28th March 2025, the National Human Rights Commission of Mauritius transmitted to the National Assembly its Annual Report for the period 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024. It does not contain details as to the respect of the freedoms of expression, association or assembly but included developments related to the treatment of prisoners.
ASSEMBLY
Opposition to pension reform
On 17th June 2025, Prime Minister Ramgoolam defended a pension reform at the Parliament. He warned that current pension expenses are becoming unsustainable due to demographic changes and proposed to align the current pension eligibility age of 60 with the official retirement age of 65. Critics pointed to the lack of prior public consultation on the issue.
Outside of Parliament, a peaceful demonstration was held against this proposed reform. In the following days, an unprecedented coalition of trade unions rallied under the message “Pa tous nou pension!” (“Hands off our pensions!”). On 21st June, thousands of workers, retirees, and youth joined a massive protest in the capital. On 14th July 2025, about a third of workers did not show up for work, following a “Lundi Cordonnier” movement (“Cobbler’s Monday”) to protest against the government's decision to raise the universal retirement age to 65.
The Finance Act was adopted on 8th August 2025, amending the National Pensions Act 1976. Individuals petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge its constitutionality.
Protests against the Chagos Islands handover
On 6th March 2025, the Indian Losean Demilitarisation Platform held a peaceful demonstration in front of Government House to demand the total demilitarisation of Diego Garcia. According to them, the agreement reached by the Mauritian government (see above) is a ‘false agreement’ if the military base remains under U.S. control.
On 9th September 2025, while the Chagos Islands Bill was on the agenda of the U.K. House of Commons, the political party Lalit organised a symbolic demonstration in front of the Mauritian parliament, denouncing the ‘loss’ of Mauritius' sovereignty over the Chagos with this bill.
Pro-Palestinian protests
During the period covered by this update, several pro-Palestinian protests took place.
On 6th May 2025, a demonstration was held in front of the American Embassy in Port Louis to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump's alleged complicity in the genocide in Palestine.
On 29th August, a march for Palestine took place in the streets of Port-Louis, at the call of the Plateforme mauricienne pour la Palestine to express solidarity with Palestine and to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
EXPRESSION
Brutal arrest of journalist following a defamation complaint
On 12th September 2025, Mauritian journalist Narain Jasodanand was arrested and subsequently released by the Cybercrime Unit following a raid on his home. The arrest and search operation led to the seizure of his electronic devices. Jasodanand was pushed and taken to the Line Barracks for questioning. He has chosen to remain silent during his interrogation. The operation reportedly stems from a defamation complaint filed the day before by the son of the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius, Tevin Sithanen.
On 11th September 2025, Narain Jasodanand had published an article on Scoop.mu on the alleged interferences of Tevin Sithanen in the Bank of Mauritius’ recruitments and operations. The bank is run by his father, Rama Sithanen.
The method and the timing of the arrest were criticised by many, as Jasodanand was not even summoned. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger publicly condemned the methods used by the Cybercrime Unit. On 1st October, five police officers from the concerned unit and a Central Crime Investigation Department police superintendent were transferred to other divisions.
On 7th October 2025, Majority MP Khushal Lobine demanded explanations from Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam regarding the search. The MP wants to know where the instructions for this operation came from and whether the head of government has an independent report on these incidents.
ASSOCIATION
Improvement of workers’ rights
Mauritius’ score in the 2025 Freedom In the World Index established yearly by Freedom House increased by one point from 2024 because “because there have been no recent reports of the 2020 COVID-19 Act being used to restrict workers’ rights, and because labor unions freely advocated for their interests during the 2024 election period, in part by calling for a constitutional right to strike”.
According to the 2025 Global Rights Index of the International Trade Union Conference, Mauritius is highlighted as improving among the Commonwealth countries, which have generally experienced a decline in trade union rights.
On 30th May 2025, during the first Annual General Meeting of the Trade Union Council, the Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations, Mr Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem, recalled that fostering a collaborative mindset between the Ministry and the unions is essential, as their combined support empowers workers to stand up for their rights. He also expressed concern regarding the persistent challenges faced by workers, such as unpaid bonuses.
Trade unionist suspended
On 25th August 2025, Mr Chidanand Rughoobar, analyst at the Bank of Mauritius and President of the Bank of Mauritius Employees Union, was suspended by the bank. The bank cited internal disciplinary proceedings related to an ongoing legal case. Rughoobur is facing a provisional charge of rogue and vagabond behaviour after having been involved in an incident on 13th July in Mahebourg.
The decision prohibits the trade unionist from entering the bank’s premises and requires him to hand over all his documents. This suspension comes at a tense time for the Central Bank, which has been weakened by a series of financial and institutional scandals, and raised questions. According to Lexpress.mu, “Some see it as an attempt to weaken internal dissent at a time when the leading monetary institution is undergoing an unprecedented governance crisis”. The unions denounce a violation of the presumption of innocence.
According to the Minister of Labour, the procedures undertaken against Chidanand Rughoobur are not acceptable as a case of conciliation and mediation between the employee and his employer was already pending before his ministry.
In a letter dated 27th August 2025, the Bank of Mauritius explains their version of the unfolding of events that led to the suspension of Mr Chidanand Rughoobar. According to the bank, Mr Rughoobar failed to inform the Bank without delay of the full circumstances of his arrest and provisional charge and he is interdicted from the exercise of his functions, pending the outcome of the police enquiry.
Old charges for failing to comply with the conditions imposed by the police during a demonstration dropped
On 27th May 2025, the representative of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ricky Bhookun, requested that the charges against the Minister of Social Integration, Ashok Subron, and three other people be dismissed, as considerable time had elapsed. Ashok Subron was formally prosecuted for failing to comply with the conditions imposed by the police during a demonstration held on 10th March 2012 in Port-Louis. The Director of Public Prosecutions asked that the trial be struck out and the request was accepted by the Port Louis court.
Protestor awarded damages from State after arbitrary arrest in 2018
On 19th February 2018, Eliézer François was arrested and provisionally charged following a peaceful demonstration he had organised in Roche-Bois. On 3rd June 2019, the provisional charge of ‘failing to comply with a notice of a public gathering’ was dropped in the Port Louis court. After that, he claimed that the police had committed gross negligence in arresting and provisionally charging him for an offence that did not exist in Mauritian legislation and that his arrest, court appearances and having to request permission when he needed to travel had been detrimental to him. He asked for Rs 2 million in damages. Magistrate Uroosa Rawat-Neerooa ruled that his arrest and provisional indictment constituted ‘gross negligence’ as the police had acted without legal basis, and awarded him Rs 50 000 (about 1100 USD).