Mauritanian journalist, Ahmed Ould Haroud, who is also the director of the Hassaniya Platform (a media outlet that publishes content in the local Hassaniya language) was arrested on July 27, 2025 in Nouakchott, the capital, by agents of the national police.
On July 27, Ahmed was stopped at a traffic light by a traffic police officer. The officer reportedly wanted to take the journalist to the police station using his (the journalist’s) car as their means of transport. Ahmed refused to let him get into his car. In response, the officer placed a wheel clamp around Ahmed’s vehicle. Surprised by the policeman’s action, the journalist made a Facebook post questioning the legitimacy of the act:
“Do traffic police officers have the legal right to force a driver to transport them to the police station, even if they have their own motorcycles? And if the driver refuses, can they legally compel him or immobilize his vehicle with a wheel clamp?”
Ahmed was later arrested by agents of the national police. Although no official statement has been issued about the reason for his arrest and detention, his media outlet, Hassaniya, in a Facebook post reported that the police officer involved had filed a complaint against the journalist, suggesting the reason for his arrest. Hassaniya’s Facebook post also reported that the said officer demanded that the journalist delete the Facebook post and issue a public apology before he would agree to withdraw his complaint.
The journalist’s detention sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from media organizations, civil society actors and political actors. The opposition political party, the Rassemblement des Forces Democratiques (RFD), strongly condemned Haround’s arrest in a communiqué released the same day, and describe the incident as a “violation of press freedom.”
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) equally denounces this blatant assault on freedom of expression and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmed Ould Haroud.
