Magharebia

A Mauritanian court on Wednesday (June 27th) annulled the prosecution of anti-slavery activists on procedural grounds, ANI reported.

Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) chief Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid and six members of the anti-slavery group were arrested last month for burning Maliki rite books at a square in the Nouakchott neighbourhood of al-Riyadh. On May 30th, they were charged with "endangering state security".

At the opening of the Wednesday hearing, the defence protested that since the charge of "apostasy" carries a possible death penalty, it should be subject to a special investigative procedure.