Sheep magazine Archive 2: issues 10-17

‘The president still continues to deny the existence of slavery, saying that
it’s only the ‘legacy’ of slavery that exists. Police refuse to investigate,
judges throw cases out, or they often change the charges so it’s not a
slavery charge, but ‘exploitation of a minor’ or ‘non-payment of wages’.
There’s blanket denial at every stage,’ Mathewson said.
‘If we get a favourable decision against the Mauritanian government,
although it would be non-binding, they can still put a huge amount of
pressure on the Mauritanian government to do whatever they say has to
happen – it’s another avenue to put pressure on them to act.’
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The regional court hearing has already hurried Mauritania into action.
The country has agreed a date next week for the brothers’ appeal against
the lenient 2011 sentence.
As for Said and Yarg, who are both in secondary school and respectively
dream of becoming a human rights defender and a lawyer, the possibility
of closure brings them great hope.
‘We are very happy the case is back in court and look forward to a good
result,’ said Said.
‘We’ve been waiting a long time, and our lives are very different. We are
proud because we are free. We feel like we are people now.’
SHEEP IN THE ROAD : NUMBER 17