Is apostasy illegal in Mauritania?
Death penalty possible
Article 306 of the criminal code declares apostasy illegal and provides a death sentence.
Mauritania is one of 10 countries classified “Death penalty possible” for apostasy — 32% of the 31 with data. (Also searched as leaving a religion.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Apostasy in Islam by country
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Morocco
- Legal The penal code does not impose the death penalty, and a previous fatwa calling for it was retracted.
- Algeria
- Criminal offense Apostasy is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or fines in Algeria.
- Nigeria
- Criminal offense Apostasy is a crime in 12 northern Nigerian states under Sharia law, though not federally.
- Tunisia
- Legal The 2014 Constitution prohibits accusations of apostasy, protecting citizens from prosecution for renouncing Islam.
- Libya
- Death penalty possible Atheism is prohibited and can carry the death penalty, with Sharia law serving as the basis for legislation.
- Belgium
- Legal There are no legal penalties for apostasy in Belgium, despite social stigma and threats.
Other laws in Mauritania
- Blasphemy Laws
- Death penalty possible
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.