Mohamed Athié is a Mauritanian human rights activist, born in Mauritania, who served as First Secretary for Mauritania's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York during the 1980s. In 1989, he defected and sought asylum in the United States after publicly denouncing the Mauritanian military regime for systemic human rights abuses, including the tolerance of hereditary chattel slavery affecting Black Mauritanians. His outspoken criticism led to his designation as a traitor by Nouakchott authorities, forcing him into permanent exile as a former diplomat. In the U.S., residing in the Washington, D.C. area, Athié emerged as a key figure in the global anti-slavery movement and co-founder of the American Anti-Slavery Group, focused on exposing chattel slavery in Mauritania and Sudan. He has testified before U.S. congressional committees on multiple occasions (e.g., 1996, 2000), collaborated with international NGOs, religious organizations, and policymakers to advocate for sanctions, rescues of enslaved individuals, and awareness campaigns, authored reports, spoken at forums like the UN, and supported initiatives such as the release of slaves through groups like Christian Solidarity International. Athié has continued his advocacy amid ongoing threats from Mauritanian officials, who have accused him of fabrications and anti-Arab bias, drawing both praise from human rights groups and condemnation from Mauritanian diplomats, highlighting deep divisions over slavery denialism in the region.