Mauritania

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned the arrest of Mohamed Ould Abdelatif and Mohamed Nema Oumar, respectively journalist and publisher of the privately-owned Arabic-language weekly “Al-Hurriya”, in connection with a “defamation” complaint from three judges at the criminal appeal court. The judicial police in Nouakchott arrested Abdelatif on 21 July 2008 and Oumar, who […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Mohamed Nema Oumar, the publisher of the privately-owned, Arabic-language weekly “Al-Houriya”, was released on the evening of 13 June 2008 after being held for 30 hours in a police station in the Nouakchott district of Tevragh Zeina. He was charged two days later with “libel and insult” and was ordered to report to […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 27 May 2008, Errabi Ould Idoumou, journalist with Sahara Media, an independent Mauritanian media and communication agency, was arrested by the Gendarmerie and detained for thirty minutes at a Nouakchott court. No reasons were given for his arrest. Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that Idoumou was covering a case […]

Annual Report 2008: Mauritania

(MFWA/IFEX) – Mohamed Salem Ould Mohamed, a reporter with “Assiraj”, an Arabic-language newspaper, was released on 31 March 2008 by the Mauritanian Criminal Investigations Department (CID) after being held incommunicado since his arrest on 25 March. Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that despite being detained for a week no charges have been […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – Mohamed Salem Ould Mohamed, reporter with “Assiraj”, an Arabic language newspaper, was on 25 March 2008 arrested and detained at the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Mauritanian police. Mohamed is being held incommunicado. The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that 48 hours on, no explanations have been […]

Freedom of the Press 2007: Mauritania

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 11 February 2008, an appeals court in Nouakchott confirmed the one-year prison sentence imposed on Abdel Fettah Ould Abeidna, managing editor of the “Al-Aqsa” newspaper, for defaming businessman Mohamed Ould Bouammatou. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that the court also set aside the initial 300 million ouguiyas (approx. […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned the outcome of the trial of Abdel Fattah Ould Abeidna, managing editor of the privately-owned paper “al-Aqsa”, sentenced, on 7 November 2007, to one year in jail for “false accusation” of a businessman whom he accused him without proof of being a drug-trafficker. The editor, who is currently […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders calls for an investigation into a physical attack on Elvaka Ould Cheibany, the privately-owned daily “Nouakchott Info”‘s correspondent in the northern city of Nouadhibou, by two members of First Lady Mint Boukhary’s immediate entourage on 28 August 2007. The two men, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Kebady and Noman Ould Noman, accosted […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned a 16 August 2007 attack on radio journalist Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Moghdad by the prime minister’s bodyguards, as well as a charge of “libelling the First Lady” that was brought against newspaper editor Sidi Mohamed Ould Ebbe on 18 August, which could result in a prison sentence. “Press […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 4 June 2007, chairman of the opposition Popular Front political party, Ch’bih Ould Cheikh Malainnie, withdrew complaints of defamation he filed against three journalists from privately-owned Nouakchott-based newspapers. The journalists, managing editor of the daily newspaper “L’Authentique”, Oumar Moctar, managing editor of the daily “Al Vejr”, Tah Ould Ahmed, and managing editor […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – Abdel Fettah Ould Abeidna, managing editor of “Al-Aqsa”, a daily Arabic-language newspaper, was granted bail on 28 May 2007 by a Nouakchott court after spending four days in prison for allegedly defaming a businessman, Mohamed Ould Bouammatou. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) correspondent reported that the journalist had been granted bail […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate release of Abdel Fettah Ould Ebeidna, managing editor of the daily newspaper “Al-Aqsa”, who was sent to prison in Nouakchott on 24 May 2007 because of a libel complaint against him by a businessman. “His imprisonment is a very ominous sign for the media at […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 27 April 2007, Mohammed Ould Saleck, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mutpêche, a credit union for fishermen in Mauritania, threatened to throw Isselmou Ould Mustapha, managing editor of “Tahalil Hebdo”, an independent weekly newspaper, into the sea for refusing to disclose a source of information. MFWA reported that Saleck, who […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned supporters of some candidates eliminated in the first round of presidential elections, who forced their way into the offices of al-Jazeera TV in Nouakchott and threatened staff. On 20 March 2007, journalists working in al-Jazeera’s Nouakchott offices received death threats by phone. Then, at about 4:00 p.m. (local […]