Mauritania’s Supreme Court Upholds 15-Year Jail Term for Ex-President Abdel Aziz Over Corruption
The Supreme Court of Mauritania has delivered a final ruling against former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, affirming his 15-year prison sentence for corruption and related offences. This marks the end of a protracted legal battle that began with his initial conviction in 2023, when he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for illicit enrichment and unlawful accumulation of assets valued at approximately $70 million.
On appeal in May 2025, the conviction was upheld and the sentence extended to 15 years, a decision now confirmed by the apex court.
Abdel Aziz, who seized power in a 2008 military coup and governed Mauritania from 2009 to 2019, was once credited with stabilising the country but later faced mounting allegations of corruption, abuse of office, influence-peddling, and money laundering. He was charged in 2021 alongside 10 senior officials, including two former prime ministers.
The final judgment has stripped him of both his assets and civic rights, underscoring a dramatic fall from grace for a leader previously regarded as a central figure in Mauritania’s political and security landscape.
