Mauritania releases ex-president from prison

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania

Mauritanian authorities on Saturday released former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz from prison, according to local media.

The local Al-Akhbar news website said Ould Abdel Aziz was released after six months in prison.

On Friday, a Mauritanian judge ordered the former president’s release due to health reasons, but kept him under judicial and medical supervision at his home.

Last week, the former president underwent a heart surgery in a government hospital in the capital Nouakchott.

Ould Abdel Aziz was arrested in July on corruption charges in government deals.

The former president came to power in 2008 after a military coup and served for two terms until 2019. He supported current President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in the June 2019 elections. Ould Ghazouani took part in the 2008 military coup.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar