lawyers and human rights

waiting for everyone to arrive

introduction and first case about what's happening to the nomads in Mali

three more cases, in USA, Mauritania and Aguel'hoc

defending two Mauritanian in Guantenamo for 10 years 

defending Aliaa Magda Elmahdy

Organised by the National Council of Lawyers ( Ordre National des Avocates) and the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace a kind of contest was organised in Nouakchott. Eight lawyers from Mauritania, France, Sénegal, Marocco and Mali had to defend a real and recent case of violation of Human Rights. This could be done in French or Arabic. It took place at the IFM ( French Institute) as they weren't allowed to do it at the Palais de Justice.
A great morning spending listening how each lawyer defended in oratory the case he had chosen. Some  of them I was familier with others like the case of the sale of the Hopi masks defended by Maitre Olivier Yacoub I had not heard about.
The winner was Maître Youssouf Ould Abdallahi that presented the case of two Mauritanian men kept at Guantanamo for more than ten years,  Mohamedou Ould Sellahi and Ahmed Ould Abdel Aziz and pressed charges against the the people who have been able to imprison people with no trials or defense.
The second place went to Maître Delphine Manuel-Lauriano who presented the case of Allia Magda Elmahdi an Egyptian women who used her body as a cry against a regime the believes women have no right to protest. ( today in exile she continues her struggle for women's rights you can visit her blog here in english and araabic and with lots of drawings and photos of women using their bodies to protest).
 A booklet with all the cases was printed in French and Arabic. Great iniciative look forward for next years one. You can read more about it here in French