(Nairobi) – One year following the military coup in Niger, the ruling authorities have intensified their crackdown on opposition voices, independent media, and peaceful dissent, as reported today by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
Since seizing power, the military regime has arbitrarily detained former President Mohamed Bazoum, along with at least 30 officials from the ousted government and individuals associated with the deposed leader, in addition to several journalists. Despite public pledges to combat corruption, the authorities have blocked any scrutiny of their military expenditures. The Nigerien authorities are urged to immediately release all individuals held for political reasons, uphold fundamental freedoms including the rights to expression, opinion, and association, and publicly commit to transparency and accountability in managing military spending.
“A year after the military takeover, instead of progressing towards respect for human rights and the rule of law, Niger’s military authorities are tightening their grip on the opposition, civil society, and independent media,” stated Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “The Nigerien military leadership must free Mohamed Bazoum and all other political detainees, ensuring their rights to due process are respected.”
On July 26, 2023, General Abdourahamane Tiani and other Nigerien army officers from the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) overthrew Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected president in 2021, and arbitrarily detained him, his family, and several cabinet members. In response to the coup, on July 30, 2023, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions, including economic restrictions, travel bans, and asset freezes on the coup leaders and the nation itself. On August 22, 2023, the African Union suspended Niger from participation in its bodies, institutions, and activities. On January 28, 2024, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, which subsequently lifted sanctions against Niger on February 24.
Since the coup, Mohamed Bazoum and his wife have been held at the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital. The three organizations have repeatedly voiced concerns about their welfare. In August 2023, authorities declared their intention to prosecute Mohamed Bazoum for “high treason” and endangering internal and external state security, but he has not yet appeared before a judge. In September 2023, Mohamed Bazoum filed a lawsuit with the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, citing human rights violations against him and his family during their detention. In December 2023, the ECOWAS Court ruled that Mohamed Bazoum’s detention was arbitrary and called for his release. In April, authorities initiated legal proceedings against Mohamed Bazoum to strip him of his presidential immunity, enabling him to be tried for alleged crimes committed after his election in 2021. On June 14, 2024, the State Court of Niger lifted his immunity following a process that failed to meet essential due process standards and international fair trial norms, including the right to defense.
The military authorities have also arbitrarily arrested at least 30 officials from the deposed government, including former ministers, presidential cabinet members, and associates of the former president, without providing them due process or fair trial rights. Lawyers representing those arrested reported that their clients were held incommunicado by intelligence services before being transferred to high-security prisons on unsubstantiated charges. At least four were released on bail in April, while all others were charged with “undermining state security,” among other offenses, by a military court despite being civilians.
Since the 2023 coup, media freedom has been severely curtailed in the country. Authorities have threatened, harassed, and arbitrarily detained journalists, many of whom report self-censoring due to fear of reprisal.
On September 30, individuals identifying themselves as security forces arrested Samira Sabou, a blogger and journalist, at her mother’s home in Niamey. Samira Sabou’s detention location remained unknown for seven days. Niamey’s judicial police initially denied her arrest, but on October 7, Samira Sabou was transferred to Niamey’s police criminal investigations unit, where her lawyer and husband visited her. On October 11, she was charged with “producing and disseminating data likely to disturb public order” and released pending trial. No trial date has been set.
On January 29, the Minister of Interior issued a decree suspending the activities of Maison de la Presse, an independent media organization, and announcing the creation of a new media management committee led by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Interior.
On April 13, security forces arrested Ousmane Toudou, a journalist and former communications advisor to the ousted president. In the days following the July 2023 coup, Ousmane Toudou had publicly condemned the military takeover in a widely shared social media message. In May 2024, he was charged with “conspiracy against state security” and placed in provisional detention.
On April 24, security forces arrested Soumana Maiga, the publishing director of L’Enquêteur, after the newspaper republished an article from a French newspaper about the alleged installation of listening devices by Russian agents on official state buildings. He was brought before a judge in May, detained for undermining national defense, and released on July 9 pending trial.
Tchima Illa Issoufou, a BBC Hausa radio correspondent in Niger, reported receiving threats from security force members accusing her of attempting to “destabilize Niger” due to her coverage of the security situation in the Tillabéri region of western Niger, where armed Islamist groups conduct attacks against civilians and security forces. “I was attacked by junta supporters on social media,” she explained to Amnesty International in May after fleeing Niger for another country. “They accused me of working under foreign influence.” On April 26, security forces arrested Ali Tera, a civil society activist whom Tchima Illa Issoufou had interviewed.
On May 29, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights issued a circular suspending all visits by human rights organizations to Nigerien prisons “until further notice,” in violation of national and international human rights law, including the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which Niger ratified in 1988.
On June 12, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights issued a press release announcing an amendment to a 2019 cybercrime law. This law, which criminalized “the dissemination, production, and making available to others of data likely to disturb public order or undermine human dignity through an information system,” had been used to repress human rights, particularly the right to freedom of online expression in 2020. In 2022, Mohamed Bazoum’s government, following a sustained civil society campaign, modified the law, replacing prison sentences with fines for defamation-related offenses. The June 12 amendments, however, reinstate prison sentences.
“The extensive list of attacks against journalists over the past year highlights the authorities’ determination to restrict press freedom and the right to access information,” explained Drissa Traoré, FIDH Secretary-General. “The amendment to the 2019 cybercrime law represents a dangerous regression and could be used to silence any dissenting voices, and certainly to further target human rights defenders, activists, and journalists. The Nigerien authorities must reverse this decision and guarantee freedom of expression.”
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both ratified by Niger in 1986, guarantee the rights to freedom of opinion and expression.
On February 23, Abdourahamane Tiani, who pledged to fight corruption after taking power, signed an ordinance abolishing any oversight of military expenditures. The ordinance states that “expenses for the acquisition of equipment or material or any other supplies, the execution of works or services intended for the defense and security forces […] are excluded from the scope of legislation relating to public procurement and public accounting” and are also exempt from taxes. Transparency regarding military budgets and expenditures is crucial for combating corruption and mismanagement. It also contributes to respecting human rights and the rule of law, proper management of military spending, and government accountability, the organizations affirmed.
“Public scrutiny of the army’s economic activities is not only essential for restoring a civilian democratic regime and holding military authorities accountable for abuses, but also for preventing the loss of public resources due to corruption and mismanagement,” concluded Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Sahel Researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Nigerien authorities should commit to transparency and accountability by immediately disclosing verifiable financial information on military spending.”
