• Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz receives 15-year prison sentence after appeal

• Found guilty of illicit enrichment, influence peddling, and money laundering

• Court upholds seizure of assets and revokes his civic rights

Mauritania's former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by an appeal court on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. He was found guilty of illicit enrichment, influence peddling, and money laundering. The Nouakchott Court of Appeal also upheld the seizure of his assets and the revocation of his civic rights.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who governed Mauritania from 2009 to 2019, was originally sentenced to five years in prison in December 2023. His appeal trial began in November 2024 and was held under heavy police surveillance. Although prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence, the court ultimately imposed 15 years.

The verdict marks a significant ruling in a case that has drawn attention both within and outside Mauritania, given the high-profile nature of the charges and the former president's role in the country's recent political history.