A/HRC/34/54/Add.1
been in Mauritania illegally, their treatment and conditions of detention must nevertheless
respect human rights, in particular the right to be free from ill-treatment.
46.
The authorities have attempted to alleviate the problem by building new detention
facilities and transferring detainees to them. The new prison complex in Aleg currently
operates at capacity, holding 255 detainees at the time of the visit on 30 January 2016. Still,
much remains to be done. The Special Rapporteur furthermore highlights that transfers to
other cities or regions may make contacts between inmates and their lawyers and families
more difficult.
47.
The Special Rapporteur observed unsanitary and unhygienic conditions in cells,
lavatories and yards and an absolute lack of toilet or shower facilities in several smaller
detention centres. Such conditions and poor oral hygiene lead to many inmates suffering
from dermatological diseases and dental problems. In some locations, the electric wiring is
loose and exposed, which makes conditions dangerous.
48.
In all detention centres visited, nutrition was insufficient, both in terms of quantity
and quality, which means that inmates were not getting enough protein or vitamins, or even
enough drinking water. Inmates often relied on their families to supplement the poor diet.
49.
In some detention centres, yards were open throughout the day and accessible to
inmates. In others, however, detainees had no or very limited access (i.e. 15 minutes per
day) to open areas and sunlight.
50.
In none of the visited centres were inmates given opportunities for schooling,
vocational training or work. A very restricted number of detainees may be allowed to work
in the kitchen or distribute food, or act as the “leader” of certain areas of the facility.
Recreational or cultural activities were totally absent. One exception was the women’s
prison, where inmates, with the help of the non-governmental organization Fondation
Noura, were given the opportunity to participate in sewing classes, language lessons and a
newly established exercise room, among others.
51.
At the time of the visit, family visits were suspended in many detention centres
throughout the country. In the central prison, visits were suspended owing to an inmate’s
recent escape. In the women’s prison, the specific authorization required for visits had not
yet been renewed for the new year. Even when families were allowed to visit, they could
only do so once or twice a week and for no more than 15-30 minutes, usually in the
presence of guards.
52.
The Special Rapporteur was able to visit the maximum security penitentiary near the
Salahdine military base, which was created in 2011 by presidential decree for the detention
of 14 convicted terrorists considered to be a high security risk. He received credible reports
from inmates who had been detained there during the first three years of its existence of the
inhumane and cruel detention conditions, which included exposure to extreme heat or cold
depending on the season and time, the locking of inmates in small bare cells at all times
(without beds, mattresses or blankets), insufficient nutrition of poor quality, salty drinking
water leading to serious health problems, denial of access to open areas and sunlight,
unsanitary conditions with inadequate access to water resulting in skin allergies and rashes,
and insufficient or total lack of medical care.
53.
Following the death of one inmate as a result of those conditions and the hunger
strike held by the remaining 13 in protest, the inmates were transferred to the central prison
in Nouakchott to continue serving their sentences in better conditions. In January 2015,
three inmates were transferred back to Salahdine after initiating a riot during which prison
guards were taken hostage; in January 2016, a fourth individual, an escapee from the
central prison, was transferred after his capture. The Special Rapporteur observed that
conditions at Salahdine had improved but were nevertheless inadequate. Inmates were still
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