Warda Ahmed Souleimane

the Case of Activist Warda Ahmed Souleimane from Arrest to Final Sentencing (2025–2026)

Warda Ahmed Souleimane (also known as Maymouna) is a prominent Mauritanian blogger and human rights activist. She is a member of the media team for the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), an anti-slavery organization. She is widely recognized for her bold stances against racial discrimination and social exclusion in Mauritania.

Arrests and Judicial Prosecutions (2025)

April 2025: Warda was first arrested on April 1 following a lawsuit filed by Khattri Ould Ajje, a businessman and political activist in the ruling "El Insaf" party. He accused her of defamation and libel via electronic media after she criticized his positions. She was released on April 17 without official charges after appearing before the court.
May 2025: She was arrested along with 18 other activists during a solidarity sit-in for a family involved in a real estate dispute in Ksar. She sustained an injury to her hand during the arrest process.
October 2025: She was detained again on October 31 at her home in the Tarhil neighborhood of Nouakchott. This occurred days after her return from The Gambia, where she participated in an event for the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) and described the Mauritanian system as a "system of apartheid."
November 2025: She was charged with "inciting to overthrow the regime and undermining state security" based on a Facebook post. On November 6, she was released and placed under judicial supervision, which required her to report periodically to the authorities.

Return to Prison (April 2026)

In April 2026, the General Prosecution of West Nouakchott ordered her to be returned to prison. The prosecution explained that this action was taken because she had "breached the obligations of her judicial supervision" related to her 2025 case. The authorities denied that this detention was linked to her more recent statements, which were under review by the High Authority for Press and Audiovisual (HAPA).

Trial and Final Sentencing (August 2026)

On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Criminal Chamber of the Court of West Nouakchott issued its final verdict against Warda Ahmed Souleimane:

The Sentence: 5 years in prison, with 3 years mandatory (to be served).
Convicted Charges: Inciting the taking up of arms against the state to undermine the constitutional order, in addition to the charge of insulting and slandering the President of the Republic.
The Direct Cause: The ruling was based on a social media post in which she called on the Mauritanian people to "revolt against the current regime.
The case of Warda Souleimane falls within a strained legal context in Mauritania, where an arsenal of controversial legislation has been utilized to suppress dissenting voices. Foremost among these is the "Law on the Protection of National Symbols" (2021), which criminalizes "undermining the prestige of the state" and "insulting the President of the Republic" using broad terminology that invites arbitrary interpretation and security prosecution. Alongside the application of the Cybercrime Law, international observers and human rights organizations contend that these statutes have become instruments to legitimize "authoritarian overreach," targeting human rights defenders and silencing activists and journalists who protest against marginalization or racial discrimination. The verdict issued against her reflects an escalating pattern of "judicial harassment" designed to criminalize freedom of expression and subject digital platforms to rigorous police surveillance, thereby threatening democratic achievements and public liberties in the country