Women Journalists Without Chains strongly condemns the arrest of Mohamed Ould Ghadda, head of Transparency International–Mauritania and former senator, under circumstances that raise grave concerns regarding respect for due process, legal safeguards, and fundamental rights.

This arrest represents a troubling escalation in the systematic erosion of protections afforded to civil society actors, particularly those engaged in anti-corruption work and public accountability.

Women Journalists Without Chains notes with deep alarm that Ould Ghadda was arrested only hours after publicly announcing his intention to submit a documented legal complaint concerning the so-called “Forensic Laboratory Deal” case. The nighttime raid on his home by plainclothes officers, carried out without the presentation of a judicial summons or arrest warrant, constitutes a clear violation of the sanctity of the home and basic procedural guarantees. Such practices undermine the rule of law, threaten individuals’ right to personal security, and reflect an increasingly hostile environment for whistleblowers in Mauritania.

The organization stresses that genuine efforts to combat corruption cannot be achieved by intimidating, prosecuting, or silencing those who expose it. On the contrary, corruption is effectively addressed through independent, transparent, and impartial investigations that uphold the public’s right to know and guarantee unhindered access to justice. The arrest of Ould Ghadda stands in direct contradiction to the Mauritanian Constitution and the country’s international legal obligations, particularly under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects freedom of expression, personal liberty, and the right to a fair legal process.

Women Journalists Without Chains further underscores that this arrest must be viewed within a broader and deeply concerning national context. Recent national human rights reports, including statements by the Mauritanian Observatory for Human Rights, document an alarming pattern throughout 2025 of arbitrary arrests, expanding restrictions on freedom of expression and journalistic work, the use of vague and overbroad legislation to criminalize opinions, harassment of journalists and human rights defenders, confiscation of equipment, and obstruction of field reporting. These practices have severely weakened the media’s oversight role and dangerously narrowed civic space.

In this context, the arrest of Mohamed Ould Ghadda further deepens the crisis of confidence in the justice system and sends a profoundly negative signal regarding the authorities’ stated commitment to combating corruption and protecting whistleblowers and human rights defenders. This is especially concerning given the continued enforcement of legislation that falls short of international standards and is routinely used to restrict freedom of expression and human rights work.

Women Journalists Without Chains therefore calls on the Mauritanian authorities to:

·       Immediately and unconditionally release Mohamed Ould Ghadda;

·       Guarantee full protection for whistleblowers and ensure that no reprisals are taken against them for exercising their legitimate rights;

·       Initiate an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation into the “Forensic Laboratory Deal,” ensuring accountability while fully respecting judicial independence;

·       Review and amend vague and repressive laws used to criminalize opinions and restrict journalists and human rights defenders, in line with Mauritania’s international human rights obligations.

Women Journalists Without Chains concludes that the protection of journalists, human rights defenders, and whistleblowers constitutes a binding and non-derogable legal obligation, and that any infringement of their rights erodes the foundations of the rule of law and entrenches a dangerous culture of impunity.

Issued by:

Women Journalists Without Chains
December 14, 2025