The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture issued a statement on Monday regarding a visit conducted by a multidisciplinary team of its members to prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (the former president) at his prison in the Tefnoug Zina district, on Tuesday evening, December 31, 2024.
The statement confirmed that the team was able to conduct a private, lengthy interview with Ould Abdel Aziz and learn about his detention conditions freely and with full cooperation from the judicial authorities, without any interference from the executive authority.
The mechanism expressed its gratitude to prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz for his cooperation and willingness to speak freely with the team, after previously refusing to do so in earlier visits. This cooperation helped the team complete its mission successfully, according to the statement.
It was also pointed out that the observations of the visiting team and the information provided by the General Directorate of Prisons led to several recommendations regarding the prisoner’s detention conditions. These recommendations were sent to the relevant authorities for follow-up and resolution.
The mechanism clarified that reports from preventive and investigative visits, as well as information provided by prisoners, are subject to complete confidentiality, especially since the case of prisoner Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is still under judicial review. Therefore, the mechanism refrained from publishing the content of its report, limiting itself to sending its recommendations to the relevant authorities, with a commitment to follow up according to the legal timeframes.
The mechanism concluded its statement by emphasizing its satisfaction with the absence of any restrictions on its visits to prisoners in the country and its commitment to ensuring the rights of prisoners in accordance with the applicable laws.
