Arrest of anti-corruption activist exposes Mauritania’s growing crackdown on whistleblowers |
The late-night arrest of prominent Mauritanian anti-corruption activist Mohamed Ould Ghadda has triggered widespread condemnation from opposition leaders, civil society organizations, and transparency advocates, reigniting concerns about the state’s commitment to accountability and the rule of law. Ghadda’s detention, which came just hours after he publicly challenged prosecutors over a dismissed corruption case, has become a flashpoint in an increasingly tense struggle between whistleblowers and a political system critics say shields powerful interests from scrutiny.
Mohamed Ould Ghadda, a former senator and president of the Organization for Inclusive Transparency (OTI), was arrested at his home in Nouakchott just before midnight last Saturday. According to his supporters, the timing and circumstances of the arrest strongly suggest retaliation. Earlier that day, Ghadda had announced that he was prepared to present documentary evidence of bribery in a multi-million-euro public project-a case that prosecutors had abruptly closed only days earlier.
Opposition lawmakers were quick to denounce the move. In a joint statement, five opposition members of parliament warned that Ghadda’s arrest could not be viewed in isolation. They described a “worrying context” in which whistleblowers are increasingly surveilled, dissenting voices suppressed, and sensitive corruption cases dismissed without serious investigation, while those accused of wrongdoing remain untouched. The lawmakers called for Ghadda’s immediate and unconditional release, framing the arrest as a direct threat to transparency and democratic accountability.
The president of Mauritania’s largest opposition party, the National Rally for Reform and Development, Hamadi Ould Sid’El Moctar, echoed those concerns. He described Ghadda’s imprisonment as a deeply........