A criminal Court in Nouakchott has sentenced two opposition lawmakers,Marieme Cheikh Dieng and Ghamou Achour,to four years in prison after convicting them of insulting President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and inciting unrest.
The two MPs had been charged last month with “attacking the symbols of the state” and calling for protests,following social media posts in which they criticized the president and alleged racial bias within the justice system.
Their lawyers confirmed the verdict on Monday,while the Government has yet to comment. The case has drawn attention in Mauritania,where rights groups have long raised concerns over human rights abuses and the persistence of slavery despite its formal abolition in 1981.
Activist Biram Dah Abeid condemned the ruling as politically motivated,describing the lawmakers as defenders against injustice.
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