Imprisonment and Beatings of Anti-Slavery Activists in Mauritania

Oct. 16th 2018

IRA – USA stands in solidarity with Mauritanians beaten and imprisoned for their defense of human rights.

We support the renewed petition hosted by Freedom Now that calls for the release of Biram Dah Abeid from prison and for an end to the police harassment of human rights defenders.

 

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IRA-USA Independent from IRA – Mauritanie

Today IRA – USA announces a new direction for its organization.

IRA – USA has long worked in alliance with Biram Dah Abeid’s organization, IRA – Mauritanie. Together we have worked to free those held in slavery in Mauritania, to empower ex-slaves, to counter the state-racism in Mauritania, and to promote gender equality.

The recent […]

Letter from Prison

“Mauritanie : « Je paie au prix de ma liberté la lutte pacifique contre l’esclavage »

Le militant Moussa Biram écrit une lettre d’une prison du désert mauritanien où il est en détention depuis cinq cents jours avec Abdallahi Mattalah.

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Time’s 100 Most Influential: Award to Biram Dah Abeid

IRA – USA is very honored to announce that Biram Dah Abeid is among Time Magazine’s “100 most influential” people in the world today.

Anti-Slavery International’s president, Aidan McQuade, writes that Biram “is an inspiration to thousands who continue to resist slavery in Mauritania and beyond.”

IRA – USA was established at the request of […]

Imprisoned IRA Members as of July 14th

The current list of IRA members arrested subsequent to June 29th is:

1-Diop Amamadou Tdjane

2-Balla Touré

3-Hamady lehbouss

4-Ahmed Amarvall

5- Khattry M’Bareck

6-Mohamed Daty

7-Jemal Bléyile

8-Ousmane Anne

9-Ousmane Lô

10-Abdallahi Matallah Seck

11-Moussa Biram

12-Mohamed Zarouhoullah

13- Abdallahi Abou Diop 14 Ahmed Hamdy

Diop Speaks from Prison: Police Beat Many Of Us

Amadou Tidjane Diop spoke with IRA USA today from his prison cell in Dar Na-im prison, Nouakchott. Dar Na-im is the general prison for violent offenders. He reports that he was not beaten, but many among the IRA prisoners suffered immensely from repeated beatings by the police.

The IRA prisoners were brought to court in […]

More Arrests: Update Saturday 9th July 2016

Notice received this morning from Nouakchott:

Je vous informe que la police ils ont arrêté hier,Mohamed Daty et aujourd’hui,il sont arrêté,Ousmane Lo,Ousmane Sy,Abdellahi Diop, bien a vous …

translated: I inform you that yesterday the police arrested Mohamed Daty and that today they arrested Ousmane Lo, Ousmane Sy, and Abdellahi Diop.

The report of the […]

U.S. Senator Cardin “It is no Secret Mauritania Has one of the Worst Human Rights Records”

This is a press release from U.S. Senator Ben Cardin:

United States Senate Committee on FOREIGN RELATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2016

CONTACT Sean Bartlett 202-224-4651 Sue Walitsky 202-224-4524 Cardin Statement on Arrests of Anti-Slavery Activists in Mauritania

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, […]

Mass Arrests in Nouakchott

Here is a sub-divided list of people arrested since the unrest at Gazra Bouamatou (that incident was linked to the evictions of squatters from their homesteads. Such evictions happen because someone else (normally an Arab-Berber businessman) gains title to the land and then plans to develop it, so evicts the squatters).

These arrests are retribution […]

URGENT: Awards in WashDC and Mass Arrests in Nouakchott

URGENT Press Announcement

Washington DC July 1, 2016

update on July 3rd: If you would like to support IRA please consider donating via paypal.

Donations to IRA -USA are tax deductible.

Biram Dah Abeid received the Hero Award from United States Secretary of State John Kerry on June 30th at the U.S. State Department in […]

Success through Working Together

We are very happy that the IRA President, Biram Dah Abeid, and Vice – President Brahim Bilal Ramdhane, are finally freed from jail.

The number of individuals and organizations who worked together to protest the jailing of these leading anti-slavery activists is huge. IRA USA is very proud to be counted among the IRA community […]

Caravan Against Agrarian Slavery

IRA is starting a new Caravan Against Agrarian Slavery.

It was while participating in such a Caravan that the IRA members were arrested on November 11, 2014. Biram Dah Abeid and Brahim Bilal Ramdane are both still in jail.

This new Caravan is a courageous action by IRA members who want to help those dispossessed […]