Since the military coup on July 26, 2023, Nigerien authorities have engaged in arbitrary arrests of numerous former government officials and have actively suppressed critical media and peaceful dissent, according to recent statements by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These organizations urge the authorities to immediately release individuals detained for politically motivated reasons and to ensure that all due process guarantees are rigorously upheld.
On July 26, General Abdourahmane Tiani, alongside other Nigerien army officers forming the self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), overthrew the government led by President Mohamed Bazoum. In the aftermath of the coup, President Bazoum, his wife, and son have been held at the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital, while several other officials have also been apprehended. The new authorities have been accused of threatening, harassing, intimidating, and arbitrarily detaining journalists, young activists, perceived political opponents, and anyone expressing critical viewpoints.
“The arbitrary arrests and infringements on the right to freedom of expression by the authorities are steering Niger down a perilous path concerning human rights.”
Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“The authorities must cease arbitrary detentions, uphold human rights, and guarantee press freedom.”
In response to the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) implemented several measures on July 30, including closing borders between Niger and ECOWAS member states, suspending commercial and financial transactions, and threatening military intervention if the CNSP did not release President Bazoum and restore him to power. By August 10, ECOWAS had imposed further sanctions, such as travel bans and asset freezes, targeting the coup leaders and the nation. On August 22, the African Union suspended Niger from participation in its various bodies, institutions, and activities, though it maintained a cautious stance on potential West African military intervention, advocating for a peaceful approach to achieve a “return to constitutional order.”
On October 11, Nigerien authorities ordered the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Louise Aubin, to leave the country within 72 hours. They accused UN Secretary-General António Guterres of “sabotage” for Niger’s exclusion from the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Since the coup, several former government officials have faced arbitrary detention, including Sani Mahamadou Issoufou, former Minister of Petroleum; Hamadou Adamou Souley, former Minister of Interior; Kalla Moutari, former Minister of Defense; and Ahmad Jidoud, former Minister of Finance. In September, these individuals were transferred to prisons in Filingué Say, Kollo in the Tillaberi region, and Niamey, where they were charged with endangering state security before a military tribunal. This action is despite their civilian status, which contravenes due process guarantees. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch classify these detentions as arbitrary and politically motivated.
Human Rights Watch has voiced significant concern regarding the welfare of Mohamed Bazoum and his family. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International assert that the authorities must ensure their safety and respect their fundamental human rights. On August 13, the authorities announced their intention to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining national security, yet he has not been presented before a judge. On September 18, Mohamed Bazoum filed a petition with the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, citing human rights violations against himself and his family during his detention. He also sought his immediate reinstatement as President of Niger. On October 3, Salem Mohamed Bazoum, son of the deposed president, challenged the legality of his detention before the Niamey High Court. The court subsequently ordered his release on October 6; however, the CNSP has yet to implement this ruling. In an October 20 press release, Bazoum’s lawyers stated that he, his wife, and his son were being held incommunicado, refuting claims from military leaders that he had attempted to escape.
Members of media organizations and journalists have informed Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that since the coup, they have experienced escalating pressure in their work, coupled with intimidation, including threats of violence and surveillance from government agents and other individuals.
Following the coup, both local and international journalists have encountered threats, online verbal harassment, and physical assaults. On August 3, the CNSP indefinitely suspended the international news channels Radio France Internationale and France 24.
“Self-censorship has become a survival tactic for many of us, especially those who have distanced themselves from the new authorities’ views and actions,” a Nigerien journalist confided to Human Rights Watch. “Journalists prefer to avoid discussing sensitive issues such as human rights.”
On September 30, men identifying themselves as security forces arrested Samira Sabou, a blogger and journalist, at her mother’s home in Niamey. “Men in civilian clothes, claiming to be security forces, came to arrest Samira,” her husband recounted to Amnesty International. “They put a hood over her head and took her away.” Samira Sabou’s whereabouts remained unknown for seven days. The judicial police in Niamey initially denied her arrest, but on October 7, she was transferred to the Niamey criminal police brigade, where her lawyer and husband were able to visit her. On October 11, she was charged with “producing and disseminating data likely to disturb public order” and subsequently released pending trial.
Samira Sabou has a history of arrests related to her journalistic activities. In 2022, she received a one-month suspended sentence for her reporting on drug trafficking in Niger, and in 2020, she was arbitrarily detained for 48 days on cybercrime charges.
The authorities have actively silenced dissenting voices. In an August 22 decree, Tiani, Niger’s military leader, announced without explanation the dismissal of six academics and state officials. The day prior, these individuals, along with other academics, had signed a petition disassociating themselves from an August 1 statement by the National Union of Teachers and Researchers that expressed support for the CNSP. On October 3, Samira Ibrahim, a social media user known as “Precious Mimi,” received a six-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 CFA francs (US$480) for “producing data likely to disturb public order.” Her charge stemmed from a Facebook post referencing Algeria’s refusal to recognize the new Nigerien government.
After the coup, CNSP supporters, sometimes organized into self-defense committees, perpetrated acts of violence against members of Bazoum’s party, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya), and others. This violence may have been fueled by political tensions surrounding a potential military intervention by ECOWAS.
On July 27, government supporters ransacked and set fire to the PNDS headquarters in Niamey. They also burned dozens of vehicles and physically assaulted several party members who were gathered at the premises. “A young man hit me with a stick, while another grabbed my breasts,” a woman reported. Witnesses stated that security forces did not take adequate measures to prevent the violence.
In August, young members of self-defense groups supporting the coup sexually assaulted several women during illegal patrols at major roundabouts in Niamey, according to police reports and the Nigerien Women’s Rights League. At least four victims filed complaints with the Nigerien police against their attackers, but to date, no one has been charged for these offenses.
While the CNSP suspended Niger’s constitution, it has pledged to uphold the rule of law, “pluralist democracy,” and the rights and freedoms enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Niger is a party, guarantees the right to freedom of expression and prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention.
“Niger stands at a critical juncture,” stated Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office.
“Freedom of expression, dissent, and press freedom are fundamental to the enjoyment of other rights and to government accountability. The transitional military authorities must act decisively to end the escalating threats, harassment, intimidation, arrests, and violence against Nigerien journalists, media organizations, and opponents, and take effective measures to respect, protect, promote, and implement the rights of all within the country.”
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office
