Mauritania's Former President Aziz Sentenced to Five Years for Corruption

The landmark trial, seen as a rare instance of an African leader being tried for corruption, concludes with the confiscation of Aziz's illegally acquired property.

Mauritania's former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has been sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering and self-enrichment.
The sentence concludes an 11-month corruption trial, marking a rare instance of an African leader being tried for corruption.
The trial was framed by Aziz's lawyers as a political move by current President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, with whom Aziz had a falling out after Ghazouani took office in 2019.
Four former government ministers, including two prime ministers, were acquitted of the same charges.
The court ordered the confiscation of Aziz's illegally acquired property and dropped several charges, including embezzlement and harm to the public good.