Human rights lawyer and law professor Mohamed Ahmed Ould El Hadj Sidi, was arrested in Nouakchott on 25 April 2005 together with Cheikh Mohamed El Hacen Ould Dedew, Imam; El Moctar Ould Mohamed Moussa, leader of the National Party for Democratic Convergence; Cheikhani Ould Beïba, President of the Association for Wisdom, Authenticity and Revival of Patrimony (Al-Hikma); Mohamed Lemine Ould Moustapha, Imam; Habib Ould Houmdeïtt, Counsellor to the Minister of Culture; Abdallah Ould Eminou, Imam; Al Hacene Ould Habibullah, Imam; Mohamed Sidiya, professor; Sidi Mohamed Ould Sidi, businessman; Ahmed Ould Al Kowri, professor; Mohamed Ould Abarrahmane, journalist at Al Jazeera.net; Bounenna Ould Bebbah, professor; Cheikh Ahmed Ould Mohamedine Vall; Khalid Ould Isselmou m), Imam; Abderahmane Ould Emine, Imam and Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Bilil .

A  spokesman for the Mauritanian police has accused the detainees of planning acts of terrorism and also being in contact with a fundamentalist group allied to al Qaeda. They have also been accused of having links with the militant Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, which is an armed opposition group, based in Algeria.

They are being held incommunicado, without access to lawyers and their families, at an unknown location in the capital, where they are at risk of torture or ill-treatment.  They have not been charged and have not appeared before a judge.

Amnesty International considers the detainees to be possible prisoners of  conscience, as they may have been arrested solely for the peaceful expression  of their religious or political beliefs. They have not been formally charged  with a recognizably offence nor have they appeared before a judge.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The arrests appear to be part of a veiled campaign of threats and intimidation  against religious figures and the opposition in Mauritania. A similar wave of arrests was carried out in 2003 when several of the men named above, were held in incommunicado for several weeks and charged with "plotting against the constitutional regime and incitement to undermine the State’s internal and  external public order". They were then released without trial.
 Cheikh Mohamed EL Hacen Ould Dedew and El Moctar Ould Mohamed Moussa are former prisoners of conscience. They were arrested twice in 2004. In October, they were held incommunicado for six days in Nouakchott then released without
charge. They were then rearrested in November and detained incommunicado for 14 days at an unknown location. They were later charged with "complicity in the fabrication and forgery of documents that might cause a disturbance to public
order and prejudice internal and external security" but released without trial. (See UA 284/04, AFR 38/003/2004, 8 October 2004 and follow ups)

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Arabic, French or your own language:

- expressing concern at the incommunicado detention of the men named above who were arrested by members of the security forces on 25 April 2005 in the capital Nouakchott;

- seeking assurances that they are not being tortured or ill-treated and calling for them to be given regular access to their families, lawyers and medical attention if necessary;

- urging the authorities to release the detainees immediately, unless they are to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence;

 

APPEALS TO:

(fax numbers can be difficult to get through, please send letters instead)

 

Attorney General

Procureur Général près de la Cour suprême

M. Abdelrahman Ould Abdi

 

Palais de Justice

 

Nouakchott,

 

MAURITANIA

 

Fax: 00 222 525 5194

 

Salutation: Monsieur le Procureur Général / Dear Attorney General

President of the Republic

Président de la République

 

Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya

 

Présidence de la République

 

B.P. 184

 

Nouakchott,

 

MAURITANIA

 

Salutation: Monsieur le Président / Dear Mr President

 

 

Minister for the Interior, Post and Telecommunications

Ministre de l’Intérieur, des Postes et Télécommunications

 

M. Mohamed Ghaly Ould Chérif Ahmed

 

B.P. 195

 

Nouakchott,

 

MAURITANIA

 

Salutation: Monsieur le Ministre / Dear Minister

 

 

 

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.

PUBLIC
AI Index: AFR 38/006/2005
UA 103/05
29 April 2005