Esther Imonmion
Mauritania’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, upheld the 15-year prison sentence of former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, rejecting his final appeal in a long-running corruption case that has dominated the country’s political landscape.
Abdel Aziz, who ruled Mauritania from 2009 to 2019 after seizing power in a 2008 coup, was first sentenced in 2023 to five years in prison for amassing assets and capital worth about $70 million through illicit means.
Lawyers representing Abdel Aziz argued that his trial was politically motivated, but a first appeal in May 2025 was dismissed, and his sentence was extended to 15 years.
In 2021, Abdel Aziz was charged with illicit enrichment, abuse of functions, influence-peddling, and money laundering, alongside 10 other senior officials, including two former prime ministers.
Following his conviction, Abdel Aziz was stripped of his assets and civic rights, marking a decisive moment in Mauritania’s fight against corruption and signaling a dramatic fall from power for the once-influential leader.