Alkarama for Human Rights was informed on 8 June 2007 of the opinion issued by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which, during its 48th session (7-11 May 2007), debated the continued detention for more than two years of Mauritanian personalities despite a final judgement from the chamber d’accusation of 6 April 2006 confirming the investigating magistrate’s order to release them provisionally.  Alkarama for Human Rights asked the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for urgent action on the arbitrary detention of these people.  For some of them, the organisation had also asked the Special Rapporteur on Torture and sent an urgent appeal to the Mauritanian government.

Alkarama for Human Rights has learned that on 5 June 2007, the criminal tribunal of Nouakchott acquitted 21 people who had been arrested between April and June 2005 and were held secretly for many weeks.  During this period the detainees suffered serious torture.  While three of them escaped prison, eight were provisionally freed on 27 July 2006 and the remaining ten were left in detention until being freed today.
On 12 June 2006, Alkarama had asked the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for urgent action on the 18 people kept in arbitrary detention.  For some of them, Alkarama had also called upon the Special Rapporteur on Torture and sent an urgent appeal to the Mauritanian government.