Brussels, 13 March 2014

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and IRA-Mauritania* (Initiative pour la Resurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste) call on the Members of the European Parliament to demand the immediate release of human rights defender and member of IRA-Mauritania, Cheikh ould Vall, currently being held arbitrarily in jail in Mauritania. Cheikh ould Vall was re-arrested in Nouakchott on February 24th 2014 with no warrant, allegedly for helping his own mother in a land dispute. Accused of posing a threat to State security, he has since been held under detention.

Already known by Mauritania’s intelligence services for his numerous activities in the name of human rights, Cheik ould Vall has been arrested and imprisoned several times before. His arrest on 24th February 2014 came only days after he was released from a previous three-day sentence on February 19th. He is currently being held in the civilian prison of Kaedi, 410 km from Nouakchott. When last seen Mr. ould Vall‘s physical conditions had seriously degraded, and he was suffering from high fever. And yet, the penitentiary authorities have refused him access to medical assistance.

The arbitrary arrest and detention of Mr. ould Vall follows a series of arrests of members of IRA, including those of Ms. Fatma Jemal, vice-chair of the department of Arafat, and Mr. Dah Ould Boushab, President of the IRA-Mauritania’s Arafat department of Nouakchott. Both were arrested for peaceful demonstrations in favour of victims of property expropriations, and were recently released by the Mauritanian government. These arrests demonstrate the government’s attempt to dismantle IRA-Mauritania’s network in the city, where Haratins are numerous and face daily violations of their human rights. They are also evidence of the security forces’ influence on the State and their capacity to divert the administration’s means to pursue their own interests.

Believing that Cheikh ould Vall is being arbitrarily held under detention because of his fight for human rights, and utterly concerned about his physical and psychological integrity, UNPO and IRA-Mauritania call on the members of the European Parliament to urge the Mauritanian government to:

Immediately and without any conditions release human rights defender Cheikh ould Vall; Commence an investigation into the circumstances that led to his arrest, publish the results, and prosecute those responsible according to international standards; Ensure that every human rights defender in Mauritania is able to undertake peaceful activities without restrictions, retaliation, nor judiciary harassment.

Furthermore, UNPO and IRA-Mauritania call on the Members of the European Parliament to hold a hearing on the topics of slavery and minority issues in Mauritania, considering that the country will hold its next presidential elections in July 2014.

*IRA-Mauritania is an organisation working for the eradication of slavery and the promotion of human rights in Mauritania.