This page summarizes cases raised with Mauritania by the Special Rapporteur between May 1, 2011, (when the Special Rapporteur took up his functions) and February 28, 2016 (the date of the last public release of communications). Communications are released to the public once per year. This page also contains observations on these communications and on responses received from Mauritania. Communications and observations are divided into sections based upon which observation report they originally appeared. Each communication is referenced as urgent appeal (UA), allegation letter (AL), joint urgent appeal (JUA) and joint allegation letter (JAL) – the hyperlinks lead to these documents. This is followed by the date the communication was issued, as well as the case number and the State reply (also hyperlinked if available). Summaries and communications are published only in the language of submission (in the case of Mauritania, French). First Report (May 1, 2011 to March 15, 2012) None Second Report (March 16, 2012 to February 28, 2013) Joint urgent appeal, 27/07/2012. Case no. MRT 2/2012. State Reply: Aucune à ce jour. Allégation de détentions de défenseurs de droits de l‟homme et procédures judiciaires à leur encontre en violation du droit à un procès équitable. Observations Le... Continue reading →
Issue No. 24 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • In final presentation to UN General Assembly, Special Rapporteur reflects on time in mandate; warns that situation for civil society remains ‘precarious’ • Corporate power undermining workers’ assembly and association rights, Kiai warns • Litigation project: Developments in cases in Kazakhstan, Brazil and USA • UN experts urge India to release prominent Kashmiri human rights defender • Democratic Republic of Congo: experts urge end to ‘unjustified’ ban on protests • Ethiopia: call for international investigation into systematic violence against protesters • Maina Kiai’s Foreword to the Civic Charter: the Framework for People’s Participation • Experts blast Kenya for excessive force against anti-corruption protesters • Mauritania: UN experts concerned about situation of jailed rights activists • Egypt NGO law: Special Rapporteur Kiai warns about growing restrictions on civil society • Iran: UN expert Shaheed calls for the immediate release of dual nationals • Assembly & association rights: By the numbers • Special Rapporteur news in... Continue reading →
(English) GENÈVE – Un groupe d’experts des droits de l’homme des Nations Unies* a exprimé aujourd’hui sa grave préoccupation par le fait que des militants mauritaniens emprisonnés en raison de leur rôle présumé dans une manifestation contre les expulsions forcées à Nouakchott, sont ciblés par le gouvernement pour leur plaidoyer anti-esclavagiste. Les défenseurs des droits de l’homme ont été condamnés en août à des peines de prison allant de trois à quinze ans. La date du jugement en appel sera fixée en fin de semaine par la Cour d’appel de Nouadhibou. Treize de ces militants sont membres de l’Initiative pour la résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste (IRA), principale organisation de la société civile mauritanienne luttant contre l’esclavage. Les militants ont constamment nié toute implication dans les manifestations contre les expulsions forcées, au cours desquelles plusieurs personnes, dont des policiers, ont été blessées. «Le gouvernement mauritanien est hostile à tous les groupes de la société civile qui critiquent ses politiques et est particulièrement hostile aux groupes tels que l’IRA, dont les membres sont issus de la minorité Haratine, et qui œuvrent pour la promotion de la fin de l’esclavage», ont souligné les experts, en rappelant... Continue reading →
(français) GENEVA – A group of United Nations human rights experts today expressed serious concern that Mauritanian activists jailed for their alleged role in a protest against forced evictions in Nouakchott are being targeted by the Government for their anti-slavery advocacy. The human rights defenders were sentenced in August to prison terms ranging from three to fifteen years. The date for an appeal will be set later this week by the Appeals Court in Nouadhibou. Thirteen of the activists are members of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), the leading Mauritanian civil society organization fighting against slavery. They denied any role in the eviction protests, during which several people, including police officers, were injured. “The Mauritanian Government is hostile to civil society groups that criticise its policies, and is especially hostile to groups like IRA, whose members are drawn from the Haratine minority and advocate for an end to slavery,” the experts said recalling that the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, visited Mauritania in May and met with IRA members. “The conviction of the activists fits a pattern of crackdown on dissent by the ruling party in a country in which one ethnic minority... Continue reading →
Issue No. 15 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • UN releases Kiai’s next report to the General Assembly: Comparing States’ treatment of business and civil society • Mexico: Special Rapporteur weighs in on case challenging constitutionality of protest laws • ‘Stop the erosion of democracy’ – UN experts urge Governments across the world • Peaceful protest recommendations project: Asia and Africa meetings • Ecuador: UN and IACHR experts condemn moves to dissolve prominent organization • Mauritania: UN rights expert urges repeal of NGO Bill that threatens civil society • Human rights defender stories from Kazakhstan, Burundi and Azerbaijan • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers - sectoral equity edition • Special Rapporteur news in brief: July-August 2015 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (1.5MB file) or here (4.5MB full resolution file). To subscribe to our newsletter, please drop us a line at info@freeassembly.net with the subject line “subscribe to newsletter.” For other recent... Continue reading →
GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, today called upon the Mauritanian Parliament to reject the draft law on associations approved by the Council of Ministers last month without public consultations. “While I support Mauritania’s efforts to reform and improve laws that govern the work of civil society, I am concerned that the bill, as it stands, threatens the exercise of fundamental freedoms in the country, in particular the right to freedom of association,” Mr. Kiai said. The human rights expert further voiced particular concern about the lack of civil society consultation ahead of the elaboration of the recently amended draft Law on associations, foundations and networks of associations, which is not in line with international standards. “The Mauritanian Government should view civil society as a key partner in the process of reform.” “Legislation that enshrines mandatory procedures for the ‘prior authorization’ of associations, instead of a simple process of ‘prior notification’, risks hindering the work of civil society in Mauritania,” he said. Instead, Mr. Kiai stated, “a prior notification process that automatically attributes an association the legal personality to function is... Continue reading →
