Lawyers for former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz have withdrawn from his trial for alleged illicit enrichment, denouncing the court's violation of their client's rights, two of them said on Tuesday. Mr. Clédor Ly and his colleague Mr. Taleb Khyar Ould Mohamed Moloud affirmed that the court refused to process the requests of Mr. Aziz's defense and to call witnesses on his behalf. Mr. Aziz "suffered unequal treatment" until his detention, said Me Clédor Ly, who counted 356 violations of his client's rights. The Court appointed two lawyers to defend Mr. Aziz, but the latter "systematically refuses to collaborate with them", reported Me Mohamed Moloud, stressing that the collective which withdrew remained the legitimate defender of Mr. Aziz. The trial will resume on October 23, time for the court-appointed lawyers to review the file, the court explained.
