Madar (Nouakchott) - Lawyer Abderrahmane Ould Zourg, a member of the defence team of former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, said his client suffered an acute breathing attack in his prison on Wednesday night, leading the prison administration to call in the specialist supervising his treatment on Thursday, October 22, 2026, according to a Facebook post relayed by local websites.
The lawyer gave no further details on the former president's condition but said the treating specialist had submitted an urgent medical report in July recommending his transfer to a specialised international centre for treatment.
The defence regularly reports a deterioration in its client's health; in June, lawyer Ould Ahmed Taleb said he had suffered suffocation in his cell from pesticides and toxic fumes. There was no official comment from the prison administration or the government at the time of publication.
Ould Abdel Aziz, who ruled Mauritania from 2008 to 2019, is serving a 15-year prison sentence in the so-called "decade" case for money laundering and illicit enrichment.