Secretary-General Welcomes Release of Human Rights Activists in Mauritania

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the release of human rights activists Biram Dah Abeid and Brahim Ould Bilal on 17 May in Mauritania, following a Supreme Court decision.

The Secretary-General commends efforts by the Mauritanian authorities to strengthen the rule of law and urges the judicial authorities to carefully investigate the circumstances that led to the arrests of the activists.  The Secretary-General also encourages the Mauritanian Government to pursue its efforts to promote national unity and social cohesion.