A few days later, Messaoud released a report denouncing the government's torture of Yaaraf. He appeared on Radio France and other international media to discuss the report and the government's oppression of human rights and opposition activists.
On May 1, facing enormous pressure from influential members of his tribe, including prominent government ministers’ security chiefs, Yaaraf denied that he had been tortured in a press release distributed by the police. The Mauritanian authorities promptly announced their intention to initiate judicial action against Messaoud.
On Thursday afternoon, May 2, the First Consular Official at the US Embassy in Nouakchott visited Messaoud's home-office to ask for proof of his allegations of torture. As Messaoud was about to play his audio recording and present other witnesses to Yaaraf's testimony, the police entered the house without a warrant and arrested Messaoud - despite the protests of the US Embassy official.
After bringing Messaoud to jail, officers returned to search the house for evidence.After international outrcry, Messaoud was released two days later. But Mauritania's slaving regime cannot be allowed to silence the voice of abolitionists.
iAbolish, an anti-slavery group, is asking people to e-mail and call the Mauritanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. (202-232-5700) and the U.S. State Department (202-647-4440) to demand that the Mauritanian authorities stop the intimidation of Messaoud and recognize SOS Slaves as a legitimate non-governmental human rights organization.
For more information on this and other anti-slavery issues, please visit:
Become an e-abolitionist: http://www.iAbolish.org
On May 1, facing enormous pressure from influential members of his tribe, including prominent government ministers’ security chiefs, Yaaraf denied that he had been tortured in a press release distributed by the police. The Mauritanian authorities promptly announced their intention to initiate judicial action against Messaoud.
On Thursday afternoon, May 2, the First Consular Official at the US Embassy in Nouakchott visited Messaoud's home-office to ask for proof of his allegations of torture. As Messaoud was about to play his audio recording and present other witnesses to Yaaraf's testimony, the police entered the house without a warrant and arrested Messaoud - despite the protests of the US Embassy official.
After bringing Messaoud to jail, officers returned to search the house for evidence.After international outrcry, Messaoud was released two days later. But Mauritania's slaving regime cannot be allowed to silence the voice of abolitionists.
iAbolish, an anti-slavery group, is asking people to e-mail and call the Mauritanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. (202-232-5700) and the U.S. State Department (202-647-4440) to demand that the Mauritanian authorities stop the intimidation of Messaoud and recognize SOS Slaves as a legitimate non-governmental human rights organization.
For more information on this and other anti-slavery issues, please visit:
Become an e-abolitionist: http://www.iAbolish.org