February 17, 2026
Relations entre l'ONU et la Mauritanie. ©hapelinium, Shutterstock.
On January 20, 2026, Mauritania’s human rights record was examined before the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) during the country’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a peer-review mechanism through which UN Member States assess the human rights situation of each State and make recommendations aimed at improving compliance with international human rights obligations.
Ahead of the review, MENA Rights Group submitted a shadow report to the HRC highlighting key concerns and recommendations on issues relating to the right to freedom of opinion and expression, accountability and the right to truth, as well as violations of human rights in the context of the fight against terrorism.
Right to freedom of opinion and expression
During Mauritania’s UPR, States formulated 7 recommendations regarding the right to freedom of expression, reflecting key concerns of civil society. Importantly, Mexico and Estonia urged Mauritania to decriminalise defamation and reform the Penal Code as well as other legislation to end the criminalisation of peaceful expression. Additionally, Germany and Chile stressed the need to strengthen protections for journalists, human rights defenders, activists and bloggers. Estonia directly echoed MENA Rights Group’s recommendation by calling on the authorities to “ensure open and secure internet access, including during elections periods”.
The current review took place against a backdrop of persistent legal and practical restrictions on freedom of expression. These include vague and overly broad legislative provisions that enable the arbitrary criminalisation of activities linked to the exercise of this right, as well as recurrent restrictions on internet access, particularly during politically sensitive periods.
Right to truth and fight against impunity
During the review, Belgium made a recommendation to repeal law No. 93-23 on amnesty and create an independent justice and reconciliation mechanism qualified to investigate crimes of the past.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, a period more commonly referred to as the “Passif humanitaire”, large segments of the Afro-Mauritanian population were subjected to grave human rights violations, including summary executions, torture, forced expulsions, land expropriations and systemic discrimination. In its shadow report, MENA Rights Group recalled the need to establish an independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission mandated to investigate all human rights violations committed during this period and to repeal the 1993 Amnesty Law, which continues to prevent accountability for past crimes.
These concerns were raised ahead of the review by the United Kingdom, which questioned what concrete measures the government would take to address impunity for past human rights violations and to ensure access to truth, justice, and reparations for victims and their families.
Torture and arbitrary detention
Importantly, Gambia, Estonia and Mongolia recommended Mauritania to strengthen safeguards against torture and ill-treatment and ensure effective access to legal counsel from the moment of arrest, while Switzerland stressed the importance of ensuring that all allegations of torture are independently investigated and that those responsible are effectively prosecuted.
In its shadow report, MENA Rights Group reiterated concerns regarding the application of counter-terrorism legislation, in particular the extended police custody regime applicable to terrorism-related offences, which allows individuals to be held for up to 45 days without judicial oversight or access to legal counsel. No specific recommendation were made by Member States to amend this law.
Next steps
The recommendations addressed to Mauritania will be examined by the authorities, which are required to submit their responses no later than the 62nd session of the HRC in June-July 2026.
MENA Rights Group urges Mauritania to accept the recommendations made by UN Member States, especially those pertaining to fundamental rights, the absolute prohibition of torture and the fight against impunity in the context of the “Passif humanitaire”.
