Mauritanian public prosecutors have lodged an appeal seeking a 20-year imprisonment sentence for former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who was convicted of abuse of office and illicit enrichment.
Aziz was initially sentenced to five years in jail in December 2023, but an appeals court increased the sentence to 15 years on May 14, 2025, for exploiting his position to amass significant wealth.
Authorities estimate Aziz accumulated assets and capital worth approximately $70 million during his presidency from 2008 to 2019.
The prosecutors’ appeal aims to further increase Aziz’s sentence, with the authorities also upholding the confiscation of his property and revoking his civic rights.
Aziz has been detained since January 2023 and denies all charges, having led Mauritania to relative stability during his decade-long rule.
