"Diop Amatidjane, third vice president of IRA-Mauritania, was arrested June 30 by police at his home. Police also arrested Balla Touré, external relations officer. The whereabouts of Amatidjane and Touré along with four other IRA members remain unknown."
“Intimidation and violence targeting anti-slavery activists continues in Mauritania despite the government’s claims that reforms are underway to reduce the prevalence of slavery there,” said Vukasin Petrovic, director for Africa programs."
“The Mauritanian government should immediately disclose the whereabouts of the arrested activists, bring them to court if they are suspected of any crimes, or promptly release them.”
"Biram dah Abeid and Brahim Bilal Ramdhane, IRA-Mauritania’s president and vice-president, were released...after 19 months in custody for organizing a protest against the continued practice of slavery in Mauritania.
The State Department honored them June 30 for their anti-slavery efforts...received the U.S State Department’s Heroes Award for their work against human trafficking..."
https://freedomhouse.org/article/mauritania-anti-slavery-activists-missing
It is alleged that slavery is still being practiced in Mauritania, though it was legally banned, finally, in 1981.
Please write a letter for this from Amnesty International:
"NINE ANTI-SLAVERY ACTIVISTS HELD INCOMMUNICADO
Nine members of the anti-slavery organization Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement in Mauritania (IRA) have been in incommunicado detention since their arrests. They were charged on 12 July with rebellion, use of violence, attack against the police and agents of justice and membership of an unrecognised organization."
"Amadou Tijane Diop, the third vice president of IRA-Mauritania and Abdallahi Maatalla Seck, Coordinator of Section Sebkha, were arrested by police on 30 June at their home in Nouakchott. The police searched Amadou Tijane Diop’s house
and seized his personal documents and laptops."
In the following days, seven other members and supporters
of IRA-Mauritania were also arrested...Balla Touré...Jemal Beylil, Salem Vall, and Moussa Biram...
Khatri Rahel Mbarkek, President of IRA peace committee, and Ahmed Hamady, treasurer, were arrested on 3 July after organising a press conference calling for the release of their colleagues."
"None of them has been allowed access to their lawyers or families since their arrest. A member of the national committee of torture prevention mechanism, who was seeking to confirm their whereabouts and their conditions of detention, was also
denied access to where they were being held."
"Please write immediately in French or your own language:
Calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the nine activists, detained solely for their peaceful
work on human rights;
Urging the authorities to ensure that, during their detention, they are not subject to torture or other ill-treatment and have continuous access to a lawyer of their choice, to medical attention, to family visits and to all basic necessities;
Urging them to guarantee that anti-slavery activists in Mauritania are able to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 26 AUGUST 2016 TO:
President
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
President of the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania
Presidency BP 184 Nouakchott
Mauritania
Fax: +222 45 25 98 01
Minister Of Justice
Me. Brahim Ould Daddah
Ministry of Justice
BP 350 Nouakchott
Mauritania
Fax: +222 25 25 70 02
Salutation: Dear Minister
Salutation: Your Excellency
Also send copies to:
Ambassador HE Mr. Mohamed Lemine El Haycen, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to the United Nations
2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Fax: 202 319 2623 I Phone: 212 232 5700/5701 I Email: mauritania@un.int"
--
Stand up for those wrongly imprisoned, denied their human rights.
In the Light,
Daniel Wilcox
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