A team from the National Human Rights Committee is visiting the Prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

The National Human Rights Committee stated that a multidisciplinary team from the committee, headed by its president Mr. Bakaya Abdel Malick, visited the prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz yesterday, Tuesday, who is serving his sentence in a prison in the Tevragh-Zeina district of Nouakchott.

A news brief issued by the committee, which the Mauritanian News Agency received a copy of, stated that the visiting team began its work by reviewing the records and prison environment and listening to the prison administration regarding security and protection measures and the provision of suitable conditions for residence in the mentioned institution and the specific conditions of the inmate.

This is the text of the press release:

A multidisciplinary team from the National Human Rights Committee, headed by the committee president, Mr. Bekaye Abdelmalick, visited the prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz (the former president) on the evening of Tuesday, July 22, 2025, who is serving a prison sentence in the Green Belt prison in the Tevragh Zeine area of the capital, in order to review the conditions of his detention.The visiting team began its work by reviewing the records (the admission log) and the prison environment (the architectural specifications and the health and security conditions of the prison institution), and listening to the prison administration regarding protective measures, security, and provisions for suitable living conditions in the mentioned institution, as well as the specific conditions regarding the prisoner.

In the exclusive interview conducted by the visiting team with the prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the president presented an overview of the committee’s tasks and its role in protecting and promoting human rights, considering it an independent constitutional body concerned with human rights, including the rights of those deprived of liberty.

The prisoner, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, presented a comprehensive account regarding the judicial process of his trial and his observations on it (which he presented through a written document) and the conditions of his detention (especially regarding treatment, food, health, and communication with the outside world, etc.). He also made some requests related to these two points to the Chairman of the Committee, who in turn promised to study them at the committee level and to present recommendations on them to the relevant authorities for action, after explaining to the prisoner – in detail – some aspects related to the national and international legal framework governing detention.After the individual interview with the prisoner concluded, the visiting team held a closing meeting with the prison administration, which included the administration’s responses to questions from the visiting team regarding the conditions of detention.

On this occasion, the committee takes this opportunity to express its gratitude to the public authorities for their full cooperation in facilitating the mission of the visiting team, and thanks the inmate Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz for the reception, good listening, and openness to the committee, and praises the atmosphere of trust that prevailed during the private meeting.The head of the committee was accompanied during this visit by a multidisciplinary team that included, in particular:

The Secretary-General Mr. Mohamed Ould Ibrahim, and the members of the committee, esteemed judge Naji Mohamed Al-Mustafa, lawyer Professor Abdullah Cheikh Abdul Wadoud, Mrs. Oumou Diagana from the Civil Society sector, and the director of protection at the committee, Mr. Mohamed Abdullah Jedoumou.