PUBLICAI Index: AFR 38/07/00

28 November 2000

Further information on EXTRA 84/00 (AFR 38/05/00, 14 November 2000) and follow-up (AFR 38/06/00, 17 November 2000) - Fear for safety / Ill-

treatment

MAURITANIAAhmed Ould Lafdal]

Ahmed Ould Wediaa]

Ahmed Ould Bah]Released

Sidi Ould Salem]

Mohamed Mounir]

Mohamed Ould Haroun (has come out of hiding)

Five opposition members, who had been held incommunicado, have been released unconditionally after considerable national and international pressure, including from Amnesty International.

Ahmed Ould Lafdal, Ahmed Ould Wediaa, Ahmed Ould Bah and Sidi Ould Salem, were released without charge on 25 November. They are leading opposition politicians and senior members of the opposition party, l’Union des forces démocratiques/Ere nouvelle (UFD/EN), Union of Democratic Forces/New Era. They had been arrested on 9 and 11 November, apparently in an attempt to silence the UFD/EN, and had been held incommunicado in an unknown place. They do not appear to have been ill-treated.

Mohamed Mounir, another UDF/EN supporter, was released on 16 November after being interrogated for a few hours. He had been arrested earlier in the day. Mohamed Ould Haroun, who was also thought to be held incommunicado, appears to have been in hiding and is out of danger.

No further action is required. Thank you to all who sent appeals.