The government of Mauritania strengthened ‘blasphemy’ laws, so that anyone found guilty will face the death penalty, even if they ‘repent’, it was reported in an official statement on 17 November.
The Mauritanian Justice Minister said: ‘Every Muslim, man or woman, who mocks or insults Muhammed … is liable to face the death penalty, without being asked to repent. They will incur the death penalty even if they repent.’
No one has been executed for ‘blasphemy’ in Mauritania since 1987 and the man most recently convicted – a Muslim blogger who was tried in 2014 – had his death sentence downgraded to two years in prison. However, the changes to the law followed within days of protests against the announcement that the blogger would shortly be released.
