Political Activist Jailed for Social Media Post Deemed Offensive to President

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the jailing of political activist Sidi Mohamed Ould Bedki and calls for his immediate release. Ould Bedki, president of the “Loyauté à la Patrie” (Loyalty to the Fatherland) movement, was sentenced by the criminal division of the Nouakchott-West court on March 13, 2025, to one year in prison, six months of which were suspended, and fined one million old ouguiyas (approximately USD 2,500).

His arrest and sentencing stem from a protest letter he addressed to the Ministry of the Interior on January 29, 2025, in which he requested permission to organise a symbolic sit-in for the “release” of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani. The letter, widely circulated on social media, was interpreted by authorities as an insult to the President of the Republic. Ould Bedki was arrested the same day by security forces.

On February 5, an investigating judge from the West Nouakchott court ordered his remand. The public prosecutor charged him with “insulting the President of the Republic through social media,” citing Mauritania’s controversial Law on the Protection of National Symbols—a law often criticised for its vague wording and repressive application.