Two Mauritania MPs jailed for accusing president of racial discrimination

A Mauritanian court has sentenced two opposition lawmakers to four years in prison after social media posts accusing President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani's government of racial discrimination.

Local and international outlets identified the defendants as Marieme Cheikh Dieng and Ghamou Achour. The posts accused the government and the justice system of bias against Black citizens and descendants of slaves.

Reuters-based reporting said the charges included attacking state symbols and inciting public disorder or violence. Mauritania's prosecutor had earlier said the case was being pursued as flagrant-delinquency proceedings and that it could move forward despite the lawmakers' claims of parliamentary immunity.

The court's ruling marks a sharp escalation in a case that began with arrests and charges in April. Lawyers for the lawmakers said they were informed of the hearing overnight.

The broader dispute now centers on whether the defendants will appeal and whether the government will publicly defend the sentence.