Former Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been imprisoned

 

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Mauritania’s former president, was imprisoned on Tuesday night.

This decision by a judge overseeing an investigation into alleged corruption charges comes just days after the former president refused to report to police as required by the terms of his house arrest.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was charged with corruption, money laundering, and illicit enrichment alongside two former Prime Ministers and several businessmen in March.

The former president of Mauritania has stated that he is being persecuted in order to keep him out of politics, but he has stated that he will not go into exile.

His lawyers have repeatedly stated that he should be granted immunity under Article 93 of the Convention on the Child’s rights.

Since stepping down as president of the West African state in 2019, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been investigated for his actions during his ten years in office, culminating in a year-long investigation that resulted in the seizure of assets worth 114 million dollars in March.