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Biram Dah Abeid attacked with tear gas during demonstration

Status: 
Attacked
About the situation

On 3 August 2017, Biram Dah Abeid was targeted with tear gas while participating in a demonstration which caused him to lose consciousness. A member of the National Guard reportedly aimed the tear gas specifically at the human rights defender. Following the incident, Biram Dah Abeid had to be taken to hospital. The demonstration was held to encourage people to boycott the referendum. Protests have been taking place daily since 21 July, 2017. The constitutional referendum on these amendments is scheduled for 5 August 2017.

About Biram Dah Abeid

Biram Dah AbeidBiram Dah Abeid is a Mauritanian human rights defender and President of the anti-slavery NGO Initiative pour la Résurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste (IRA). He is targeted by the authorities because of his work and criticism of the seeming lack of effort by the government to end slavery and trafficking. Biram Dah Abeid was the recipient of the 2013 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.

The human rights defender is a descendant of former slaves, and has worked all his life to change the culture of impunity regarding slavery in Mauritania. Although slavery was officially abolished in Mauritania in 1981, it still exists in all but name. According to Biram Dah Abeid, descendants of former slaves are subject to unfair treatment and poor working conditions where they are deprived of their basic human rights. The IRA was founded in response to this culture of impunity, with the goal of fully eradicating the practices of slavery.

3 August 2017
Biram Dah Abeid attacked with tear gas during demonstration

On 3 August 2017, Biram Dah Abeid was targeted with tear gas while participating in a demonstration which caused him to lose consciousness. A member of the National Guard reportedly aimed the tear gas specifically at the human rights defender. Following the incident, Biram Dah Abeid had to be taken to hospital. The demonstration was held to encourage people to boycott the referendum. Protests have been taking place daily since 21 July, 2017. The constitutional referendum on these amendments is scheduled for 5 August 2017.

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed particular concern at “the apparent suppression of dissenting voices and the reported use of excessive force by the authorities against protest leaders”. The OHCHR spokesperson further urged the Mauritanian government “to ensure that its response to the protests is line with its obligations under international human rights law and to ensure that the rights to peaceful assembly, to freedom of opinion and expression are fully respected.”

This is not the first time that Front Line Defenders has reported on the direct targeting of Biram Dah Abeid by Mauritanian authorities. In July 2017, Biram Dah Abeid’s passport was confiscated and authorities arbitrarily refused to issue passports to his children. On 17 May 2016, the Supreme Court of Mauritania ruled for the release of Biram Dah Abeid and his colleague Brahim Bilal Ramdhane. The human rights defenders were arrested on 11 November 2014 and sentenced to two years in prison, on charges of “illegal assembly and rebellion”, “encouraging rebellion” and “refusing to comply with the orders of administrative authorities.”

Front Line Defenders expresses concern at the targeting of Biram Dah Abeid which it believes is directly linked to his peaceful and legitimate work to eradicate slavery in Mauritania.