Mauritanian prosecutors seek 20-year jail term for former president

Prosecutors in Mauritania have asked an appeals court to sentence former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to 20 years in prison for abuse of office.

Aziz is currently appealing a five-year sentence received in 2023 after he was convicted of using his position to amass a fortune while in power from 2008 to 2019

Prosecutors want the appeals court instead to increase the original jail term.

The lead prosecutor, Sidi Mohamed Ould Di Ould Moulay, told the court in Nouakchott that the former leader had "transformed the presidency into an office ... for blackmailing investors".

Aziz is believed to have accumulated assets and capital worth $70 million during his presidency.

The prosecutor also asked the court to dissolve the charity Rahma, an organisation he said was founded by Aziz’s son for illicit ends.

The ex-president who has been in custody since his original trial began in January 2023, was appearing alongside several former top officials and advisers.

They are also facing charges of abuse of office, illicit enrichment, influence peddling, and money-laundering.

Aziz denies the charges against him.

The case marks a significant moment in Mauritania’s struggle to address corruption and ensure accountability at the highest levels of government.