VZCZCXRO7804
PP RUEHPA RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNK #0823/01 3640826
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 300826Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8981
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000823 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2014 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV MR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS WITH 
FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Mark M. Boulware for reasons 1.4(b and d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  The Ambassador conveyed concerns that lack 
of respect for due process in the prosecution of corruption 
and slander cases -- regardless of the merits of the case -- 
will negatively affect Mauritania's human rights image which, 
in turn, may inhibit the expansion of partnerships with the 
U.S. and other partners.  The Foreign Minister took the point 
but did not provide much hope the Government would take 
actions to repair damage to its human rights image.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) "Help Us Help You"  Ambassador took advantage of a 
December 27 meeting with Foreign Minister Naha Mint Mouknass 
to raise concerns over the perceived lack of due process in 
the handling of a slander case against prominent website 
editor Hanevy Ould Dahah and corruption cases against three 
prominent Mauritanian businessmen.  The Ambassador noted that 
Hanevy had not been released following the six month sentence 
he had served for violating "public decency."  The processing 
of charges against the three businessmen did not appear to 
follow Mauritanian legal practice.  The Ambassador stressed 
it was not our place to argue the guilt or innocence of the 
accused (indeed, the likelihood of substantial financial 
wrongdoing by the businessmen seemed obvious).  Our concern 
was that lack of respect for due process diverted attention 
to the merits of the case to a discussion of Mauritania's 
human rights practices.  The Ambassador underscored that the 
2008 coup d'etat had effectively blocked Mauritanian access 
to key programs like the Millennium Challenge Account because 
of the negative impact on good governance indicators 
maintained by Freedom House and the World Bank.  The 
Ambassador urged the Government to handle the cases with 
transparency and strict adherence to Mauritanian legal 
procedure.  He noted that the 2009 Human Rights Report would, 
of necessity, handle the two cases in a negative fashion if 
there was not some positive action before the end of the 
calendar year. 
 
¶3.  (C) "Yes -- but..."  The Foreign Minister said she 
appreciated the way in which the Ambassador raised his 
concerns and accepted that the media attention around the two 
cases was having a negative impact on the Government's image. 
 That said, she provided little indication the Government 
would resolve the problem. 
 
¶4.  (C) Irresponsible Journalism:  She saw Hanevy as an 
irresponsible and slanderous journalist who undermined the 
credibility of all Mauritanian media.  She noted that she had 
been a victim herself of repeated attacks on her personal 
life (Comment: These have included rumors of having slept 
with a host of powerful politicians including Qaddhafi and 
rumors of a sex video of the Minister with one of Aziz's main 
political backers.  End Comment).  She doubted that six 
months in prison will change Hanevy's journalistic style and 
suggested "he has to be careful.  I can accept these kinds of 
attacks, but there are conservative, illiterate desert 
tribesmen in my family who would likely settle accounts their 
own way and without my knowledge if he were to insult my 
person again."  The Minister suggested she was surprised 
herself that Hanevy had not been released at the end of his 
sentence but noted (in what we assume may be the government's 
tactic) that there had been 17 complaints against Hanevy when 
he was detained and that several more had since been filed. 
She held out the possibility that Hanevy may face further 
prosecution having served time for only a single complaint. 
 
¶5.  (C) The Biggest Thieves:  The Minister said the 
Government had received multiple appeals to release the 
accused businessmen but countered that, "everyone ignores 
that these people stole (millions of dollars) from the 
Mauritanian people.  Nobody seems to care when someone who 
steals to feed himself is detained, but they are all 
concerned about these biggest of thieves."  She recognized 
that the politicization of the case had increased the 
pressure but said, "we are building the foundation (of a 
corruption-free government), so these first few blocks have 
to be solidly planted."  Mouknass suggested leading 
opposition political leaders were making a tactical mistake 
of allying themselves with the businessmen's cause since the 
common Mauritanian will see them as defending those who stole 
from the people.  While affirming the desirability of taking 
on corruption, Ambassador noted that to be successful such 
efforts had to be seen as transparent and apolitical. 
 
¶6.  (C) Comment:  Post will be reporting SEPTEL on these 
cases.  The case of journalist Hanevy Ould Dahah is of 
greatest concern since it seems most clearly related to the 
settling of accounts with the editor of the most virulent 
anti-coup / anti-Aziz website in Mauritania.  It is true that 
Hanevy's "TAQADOUMY" website often runs stories of dubious 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000823  002 OF 002 
 
 
credibility.  Indeed, Mauritanian cyber-journalists admit 
that the requirement to get a story out instantaneously 
before the competition precludes the chance for even the 
rudimentary fact-checking of print media.  That said, 
pro-Aziz media is equally loose with the truth and the Hanevy 
case can only be seen as retaliation against the President's 
biggest media critic and a warning to other journalists.  The 
businessmen pose a similar problem.  Like almost anyone of 
wealth or power in Mauritania, it is almost a given that they 
are corrupt.  The three involved are perhaps among the 
biggest but there are many others.  As all three come from 
clans that opposed Aziz during the coup, the charge of 
political settling of scores is inevitable.  While even the 
accused lawyers will privately admit wrong doing by their 
clients, the opposition is successfully showing errors in 
judicial procedure that make the discussion more about Aziz' 
settling of scores instead of the substantial wrongdoing of 
the businessmen.  End Comment. 
BOULWARE