Summer repression in Nouakchott .. MPs condemn arrests and cut the Internet

Ahmed Ould Sidi - Nouakchott

Members of Mauritania's opposition parliamentary groups denounced what they called the arbitrary arrests and kidnappings that followed the announcement of the results of the presidential elections, and touched on a number of politicians, journalists and activists.

These parliamentarians confirmed their absolute rejection of the violation of the law and restrictions on the public and individual freedoms of citizens.

At a news conference held in front of the parliament building in the capital Nouakchott on Monday, parliamentarians expressed their denunciation and condemnation of the security authorities in the country to cut off the Internet.

The deputies said that cutting the Internet is not a means to secure society, demanding the regime to spread justice and consolidate democracy, and not to resort to the actions of totalitarian regimes unable to achieve justice for its citizens.

They also demanded the apology of the political and press figures who were unjustifiably arrested and stressed the need to speed up the release of journalist Ahmedou Ould Wadih, who was kidnapped and detained in an undisclosed location without justification.

Kidnapping boy was a deposit
MP Mohammad Ould Mohamed Mbark, a parliamentary MP from the National Rally for Reform and Development Party, said opposition MPs rejected the arbitrary arrests of a number of politicians, journalists and activists, calling for an immediate end to extrajudicial detention and systematic targeting of dissidents.

Ould Mohamed Ambarek told Al Jazeera.net that the abduction of journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Ould Wadih was a violation of the law and the constitution. He did not give any justification to the official authorities, demanding his release and stopping restrictions on the public freedoms of citizens.

He also called on the Mauritanian government to return to its right and respect the law, and to stop the arrests and kidnappings suffered by politicians, journalists and activists in the country.

Mauritania has seen popular protests coinciding with the announcement of the results of the June 22 presidential election.

Suppression and arrest
The security services responded to the protesters repression and detention, and the Minister of the Interior then the existence of external parties involved in fueling these protests, and announced the arrest of 100 foreigners of African nationalities.

They arrested several political and media figures in connection with the protests, including Samab Atiyam, head of the Progressive Forces for Change (Unlicensed) party. Pocar was campaigning for the losing candidate Bayram Ould Aldah Ould Obeidi in the southern city of Bouki.

Among the detainees were Mamadou Tal, a member of the election campaign for Hamidiou Baba, Sheikh Ould Cheikh, a member of the campaign of the candidate Ould Obeidi in Nouakchott, and the editor of the French-language French newspaper Le Nouvel Observateur.

Later, the security authorities released all the detainees in the context of street events, but arrested the media and human rights activist Ahmed Ould Wadih, who is still in detention and prevents his lawyer from meeting him or talking with him.

Hundreds of Mauritanian journalists staged a protest two days ago demanding the release of Ould Wadiha, who has not been charged. Authorities have not disclosed his whereabouts.