Mauritania: Arrest and detention of four human rights defenders and members of l'Initiative de résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste en Mauritanie | Front Line

Mauritania: Arrest and detention of four human rights defenders and members of l'Initiative de résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste en Mauritanie

Four members of the Initiative of the resurgence of the abolitionist movement in Mauritania were arrested, handcuffed and taken into custody on 12 January 2012.

The four human rights defenders with l'Initiative de résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste en Mauritanie (IRA), Messrs Lehbous Ould Omar, Ely Ould Ravaa, Ell Mehdy Ould Lemrabott and Abdallahy Abou Diop, held a two-day peaceful sit-in in front of the police station in Ain Farba.

The sit-in was organised in protest against the way in which the police had handled a case of alleged slavery of five minors in the village of Aghaghar.

The four members of the delegation of the IRA arrived at Ain Farba on 10 January 2012 from Noukchott to raise the aforementioned case of slavery. On the morning of 11 January, the commander of the police unit, Mr Bouboutt Dieng, left for the village of Aghaghar with elements of his unit in order to investigate the alleged case of slavery. Before leaving for the village, the commander asked the members of the IRA to stay in Ain Farba to avoid any incidents with the villagers. The members of the IRA agreed to the request on the sole condition that the commander follow the correct procedure if an offence was found to have been committed in flagrante delicto.

According to the information IRA received, on their arrival at the village, the police met with the suspected slave-driver in a friendly manner. None of the suspected slave-drivers were questioned. On the contrary, one of the police officers intimidated one of the alleged victims and confiscated his mobile phone accusing him of wanting to bring trouble to his “benefactors”. The unit commander threatened the same alleged victim saying ”It is Ehel Khanvour (the alleged slave-drivers) who should be bringing a complaint against you... You will also pay for the offence of making a false complaint”.

On their return to Ain Farba, at approximately 11 p.m., the commander asked the members of the IRA to stay far away from the police station. However, Messrs. Lehbous Ould Omar, Ely Ould Ravaa, Ell Mehdy Ould Lemrabott and Abdallahy Abou Diop decided to remain in front of the police station to protest against the manner with which the case was dealt. The next morning at around 8 a.m. the police arrested them and took them into custody. The members of the IRA were transferred to the town of Aouin and are currently in detention accused of membership of an illegal organisation.

Anti-slavery activists in Mauritania have been the objects of repeated acts of harassment and intimidation by the authorities. Front Line Defenders have issued previous appeals on them. In January 2011, Biram Dah Ould Abeid and five other members of the IRA were convicted of aggression against police officers during a demonstration regarding a case of suspected slavery (see here and here). They were pardoned by the President the following month. In August 2011, a trial opened against nine other members of the IRA. In November 2011, IRA Mauritania reported an attempt by intelligence and security officials to create dissent within the association and set up a rival organisation with the aim of discrediting IRA.

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the arrest and detention of Messrs Lehbous Ould Omar, Ely Ould Ravaa, Ell Mehdy Ould Lemrabott and Abdallahy Abou Diop and fear that their detention is solely related to the legitimate work of IRA and its members in investigating slavery.

via frontlinedefenders.org