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Human rights practices

Mauritania: torture at the heart of the state

Torture as a system of investigation and repression in Mauritania

Authors: ; Amnesty International
Publisher: Amnesty International , 2008

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The report details the systematic use of torture by the security forces in Mauritania using interviews from prisoners and detainees in the prisons of Dar Naïm in Nouakchott (the capital) and Nouadhibou (in the north-west of the country). The report finds that:

  • the security apparatus has adopted torture as a system of investigation and repression - it is deeply anchored in the culture of the security forces, which act with complete impunity and is condoned by state authorities at the highest level
  • the systematic use of torture is made possible by detention procedures, which allow suspects in custody for crimes and offences against national security, to be held for a maximum of 15 days, a period that is regularly exceeded
  • most abuse takes place during the period of custody, in official and non-official police locations and in military barracks – the aim of the security forces is to extract “confessions” that are often the only means used by the police, the army and prosecutors to establish the guilt of suspects
  • all detainees, whether they are prisoners convicted under ordinary law or individuals detained for political offences, risk being subjected to very serious torture that can endanger their health and even their life even though they have been placed under the protection of the justice system
  • the courts allow as evidence “confessions” extracted under torture and ill-treatment, even if they are subsequently retracted, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that these declarations have been obtained under duress
  • torture techniques are numerous and include sleep deprivation, cigarette burns, the suspension of detainees from a metal bar, blows and psychological torture – these techniques are often used together to force detainees to “confess”
The report reveals that Mauritania has taken no steps to prevent torture and prosecute the perpetrators of such acts and makes a series of recommendations based on Mauritania’s obligations to implement international human rights treaties. It calls on the new Mauritanian authorities to publicly, and without delay condemn the use of torture and other ill-treatment, prosecute the alleged perpetrators of such acts and end this practice.