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Demands to Refer Case of Ex-Mauritanian President to Court Specialized in Corruption Cases

Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz at Nouakchott airport in 2018. (Ludovic Marin, AP)
Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz at Nouakchott airport in 2018. (Ludovic Marin, AP)
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Demands to Refer Case of Ex-Mauritanian President to Court Specialized in Corruption Cases

Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz at Nouakchott airport in 2018. (Ludovic Marin, AP)
Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz at Nouakchott airport in 2018. (Ludovic Marin, AP)

Mauritania’s public prosecution asked the investigating magistrates to refer the case of former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and those accused with him of corruption, illicit enrichment and money laundering to the criminal court specialized in corruption cases for trial.

The request was made after the probe team announced completing more than a year-long investigation initiated by the parliament.

In a statement on Friday, the prosecution said it made the request after reviewing the investigation results and examining the documents collected during the investigation process and based on extensive evidence.

Commenting on the prosecution’s request, coordinator of the lawyers for Abdel Aziz’s defense Mohameden Ould Icheddou said that there was no indictment addendum to the end of investigation notice.

He stressed that the lawyers were completely absent from the investigation process and the legal procedures provided for in similar cases, adding in a press statement that head of the probe team refused to meet with the defendants’ advocates.

Abdel Aziz, 64, came to power in Mauritania, a vast desert country of fewer than five million people, in a 2008 coup and was an important ally of Western powers fighting militants in the Sahel region

He was replaced by a political ally, current president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, but quickly found that his government's actions, including deals on offshore oil projects, came under scrutiny by parliament.

The ex-president has said he is being persecuted in a bid to keep him out of politics, but has vowed he will not go into exile.

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Damascus Stands at Equal Distance in Hostility to Both Tel Aviv and Tehran

Residents check the remains of an Iranian projectile that was headed for Israel, after it fell in Syria's southwestern Daraa province on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
Residents check the remains of an Iranian projectile that was headed for Israel, after it fell in Syria's southwestern Daraa province on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
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Damascus Stands at Equal Distance in Hostility to Both Tel Aviv and Tehran

Residents check the remains of an Iranian projectile that was headed for Israel, after it fell in Syria's southwestern Daraa province on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
Residents check the remains of an Iranian projectile that was headed for Israel, after it fell in Syria's southwestern Daraa province on June 13, 2025. (AFP)

Damascus remains a wary onlooker as conflict escalates between Israel and Iran, a confrontation threatening to engulf the broader Middle East.

Syria’s state media has given top billing to the tit-for-tat strikes, with the country's main news channel devoting extended airtime to live coverage and in-depth analysis of the fast-moving developments.

Despite widespread Arab and regional condemnation of Israel's actions, Syria has yet to issue an official statement or comment on the matter.

In a notable statement, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of dragging the region and the world toward catastrophe, advised Syria to steer clear of the conflict.

Erdogan described Israel’s actions as “reckless, aggressive and illegal,” calling them a clear provocation and blatant violation of international law.

During a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Saturday, Erdogan urged Damascus to avoid being drawn into the regional confrontation.

The two leaders discussed the rapidly intensifying Israeli-Iranian standoff and other regional and international issues of mutual concern, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.

Syria has no intention of becoming involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to sources close to the government in Damascus, who say the war-ravaged country remains equally distrustful of both sides.

“The Syrian state is too fragile, and its priority is rebuilding and stabilization. It cannot afford to take ill-considered positions in a conflict involving two parties that have both contributed to Syria’s destruction,” a senior source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The source said Damascus is exercising “extreme caution” as regional tensions mount and is working to shield itself from any potential spillover.

Since returning to the regional fold, Syria has placed how it deals with Israel issue firmly on the Arab and international agenda, advocating negotiations and the implementation of the 1974 disengagement agreement without ruling out the possibility of a future peace deal.

Despite repeated Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory, including hits on military sites, Damascus has stuck to its position, seeking diplomatic solutions while avoiding direct confrontation.

As for Iran, even after its withdrawal from Syria, Damascus still views Tehran as a rival, accusing it of continued interference and attempts to undermine Syria’s security and stability.

Sources close to the Syrian government said Damascus fears the broader implications of Israel’s aggressive posture, warning that unchecked escalation could destabilize the entire region.

“There will be no official position from Damascus against either side, unless Syria itself is directly targeted,” one source said, noting that the government remains focused on protecting its own fragile recovery and avoiding entanglement in a wider regional conflict.