Mauritania Slaves

[outsider]

Slave release worker under threat:

'My saviour in chains‏' (Haby mint Rabah):
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bdjY cab&v=63468

'I became a slave at age 5. Every day I looked after the herd. Every night I was raped by my master. I always thought, without understanding, that this was normal.

In Mauritania, where I’m from, hundreds of thousands of people are still held this way today. But I was lucky. My brother escaped his masters and found an organisation working to stop slavery. He asked them to help free me. But when they came to take me away, at first I completely refused. I couldn’t imagine a life away from my masters, a life where you worked no matter what, even if pregnant or giving birth. This was the only life I had ever known.

The man who came for me, and who has dedicated his life to freeing others like me, is now behind bars for daring to speak out against slavery. But in five days there is a court appeal and he could be released. If hundreds of thousands of people around the world speak out for Biram Dah Abeid, we can break his chains so he can continue helping others break theirs. Join me now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bdjY cab&v=63468

The slave-owning elites have poured on the pressure to keep the status quo, but opinions are starting to change. And I believe our President can be influenced -- under intense pressure, he's released political prisoners before, including Biram himself. Please join me now to free him again.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bdjY cab&v=63468

With thanks and hope,

Haby mint Rabah with the Avaaz team


Note from Avaaz:

Mauritania has the worst slavery problem on the planet. Today, up to 20% of the entire population are slaves. They are born into it or sold to masters, abused, raped and exploited. And like the historic trade, this slavery is racist -- almost all slaves are African Haratin.

Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery, and it only became a crime in Mauritania in 2007. Despite it being illegal, and Mauritania having an Anti Slavery Act and a roadmap to end slavery, just one slave master has been successfully prosecuted.

Those that challenge this illegal cruel practice are detained and tortured. Biram has fought slavery his whole life -- he’s received prestigious prizes from the UN and recently ran for president of Mauritania. But the government has denied the organization he leads any legal recognition, and now thrown him in jail for two years just for speaking publicly.

With just five days until the appeal, let's answer Haby's call, demand Biram’s release, and build the largest 21st century call for abolition by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter -- everywhere:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bdjY cab&v=63468



MORE INFORMATION

Biram Dah Abeid Still Imprisoned: Latest Developments (UNPO)
http://unpo.org/article/17712

Mauritania: Jailed presidential candidate and anti-slavery activists must be released (Amnesty International)
https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/01/mauritania-jailed-pre sidential-candidate-and-anti-s...

Joint Motion for a Resolution on Mauritania, in particular the case of Biram Dah Abeid (European Parliament)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+MOTIO N+P8-RC-2014-0382+0+DOC+XML+V0...

"Pour les maîtres, violer les esclaves est un droit" (Le Nouvel Observateur - French)
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/monde/20141214.OBS7863/pour-les-maitres -violer-les-esclaves-est-un-dr...

Le combat contre l'esclavage en Mauritanie récompensé par l'ONU (RFI - French)
http://www.rfi.fr/mfi/20131227-mauritanie-biram-ould-dah-ould-abeid-pr ix-esclavage-nations-unies-dro...

Mauritanie: quand la question de l’esclavage s’invite à la présidentielle (Afrique Décryptages, Ifri - French)
https://afriquedecryptages.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/mauritanie-quand-l a-question-de-lesclavage-sinvi...

Forty years a slave: women start new lives in Mauritania (IRIN)
http://newirin.irinnews.org/female-slaves-mauritania-photo-feature/