Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Mauritania (Ratification: 1997)

Article 1(a) of the Convention. Imposition of a sentence of imprisonment involving compulsory labour as punishment for expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. The Committee notes the following new provisions, which may fall under the scope of application of the Convention:

• -Section 21 of Act No. 2016-007 of 20 January 2016 concerning cybercrime, which provides for imprisonment of one to four years for any person who deliberately creates, records, makes available, transmits or diffuses through a computer system, a text message, image, sound or any other form of audio or visual representation that undermines Islamic values.
• -Sections 10 and 13 of the Act of 18 January 2018 concerning the criminalization of discrimination. Section 10 stipulates that anyone who encourages incitement to hatred against the official doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania shall be punished by imprisonment of one to five years. Section 13 provides for imprisonment (except for journalists who are only subject to a fine) for anyone who publishes, diffuses, supports or communicates terms which may reveal an intent to hurt morally, or promote or incite hatred.

The Committee requests the Government to indicate the manner in which the above provisions of the 2016 Act concerning cybercrime and the 2018 Act concerning the criminalization of discrimination are applied in practice, including by indicating the number of convictions handed down under these provisions, the acts that led to the convictions and the types of penalties imposed.