Mauritania’s former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on corruption charges following an appeal by both the state and his defense team against a sentence imposed in 2023.
Abdel Aziz, who led the West African country for a decade after seizing power in a 2008 coup, was found guilty of economic crimes and abuse of power.
The former president had denied corruption allegations, and his defense team plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, citing pressure from the executive branch on the judiciary.
Abdel Aziz was initially handed a five-year prison sentence in December 2023, which the state appealed for being too lenient.
The court’s decision reflects the ongoing efforts to hold public officials accountable for their actions in Mauritania.
