Journalist Hanafi Ould Dahah, director of the TTV television channel, has been released after being detained on Wednesday evening. In two posts on his Facebook account, he apologised to President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and explained an earlier comment about appointments made by the Council of Ministers.
In the first post, he said his comment had been interpreted as an insult to the president. He denied that this had been his intention and apologised to Ghazouani and anyone offended by the post.
In a second, more detailed post, he explained that he had used a Hassaniya proverb about Samb selling onions and buying onions again. He said the satirical expression referred to replacing an official with another whom he regarded as no different in competence or professional integrity.
He added that the comparison concerned the same type of goods being sold and bought, rather than a personal insult to the president. He reiterated that he had not intended an insult and renewed his apology to those who had understood the expression that way.
Ould Dahah said he had decided to delete the original post. He criticised the interpretations given to it, saying they had attributed meanings to his words that he had not intended.
Media sources close to him had reported that police detained him on Wednesday evening, October 14. Social media users had then recirculated a comment in which he indirectly criticised choices concerning the formation of the government and the appointment of heads of public institutions.
