Human rights groups call for justice

Mauritania’s 13 human rights organizations, grouped under the Forum national des droits humains en Mauritanie (FONADH), have appealed for a more independent and transparent judicial system in the country. This call comes ahead of the trial of three people arrested in early December for threatening national security, instigating an anti-government graffiti campaign and arson. The detainees are being held in the town of Kaedi, 400 km southeast of Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital. A member of the forum told IRIN on Thursday that a fourth detainee, Ould Babana, was also being held in violation of proper judicial procedures. The detainees have refused bail and insist that the trial, whose date has not be set, go ahead, the source said. FONADH has appealed to national and international human rights groups to pressure the government into respecting basic human rights and the rule of law, the organization said in a statement on Monday.