Niger: post-coup authorities jeopardize fundamental rights

Since the military coup on July 26, 2023, Niger’s ruling authorities have arbitrarily detained numerous former government officials and stifled critical media and peaceful opposition. This alarming trend has been highlighted by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Both organizations urge the authorities to immediately release all individuals held for politically motivated reasons and to uphold due process safeguards.

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 President Mohamed Bazoum’s administration. Following the coup, President Bazoum, his wife, and son have been confined to the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital, while other officials have also faced arrest. The new regime has intimidated, harassed, threatened, and arbitrarily arrested journalists, youth activists, presumed political adversaries, and anyone expressing critical viewpoints.

“The arbitrary arrests and assaults on freedom of expression by the authorities are steering Niger onto a perilous course regarding human rights.”

Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“The authorities must cease arbitrary detentions, respect human rights, and ensure press freedom.”

In response to the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) closed borders between Niger and its member states on July 30, suspended commercial and financial transactions, and threatened military intervention if the CNSP did not reinstate President Bazoum. By August 10, ECOWAS had imposed sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, targeting the coup leaders and the nation. The African Union suspended Niger from participating in its bodies and activities on August 22, yet it expressed reservations about potential West African military intervention, advocating for a peaceful approach to restore constitutional order.

On October 11, Nigerien authorities gave United Nations Resident Coordinator Louise Aubin 72 hours to leave the country. 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 figures have been arbitrarily detained, 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, despite being civilians, were transferred to prisons in Filingué Say, Kollo (Tillaberi region), and Niamey, and charged with undermining state security by a military tribunal, a clear violation of due process. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch consider these detentions arbitrary and politically motivated.

Human Rights Watch has voiced concerns regarding the welfare of Mohamed Bazoum and his family. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International insist that authorities must guarantee their safety and respect their human rights. On August 13, the authorities declared their intention to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason” and endangering national security, but he has yet to appear 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 him and his family during his detention. He also sought his immediate reinstatement as Niger’s president. On October 3, Salem Mohamed Bazoum, son of the deposed president, challenged the legality of his detention before the Niamey High Court. The court ordered his release on October 6; however, the CNSP has not yet implemented this decision. In an October 20 press statement, Bazoum’s lawyers reported that he, his wife, and son were being held incommunicado, refuting military leaders’ claims of an escape attempt.

Members of media organizations and journalists have informed Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that since the coup, they have experienced heightened pressure, intimidation, including threats of violence, and surveillance from government agents and other individuals in the course of their work.

Following the coup, both local and international journalists have faced 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’ opinions and actions,” a Nigerien journalist told Human Rights Watch. “Journalists prefer not to discuss 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 Niamey judicial police initially denied her arrest, but on October 7, she was transferred to the Niamey police criminal brigade, where her lawyer and husband visited 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 suspended one-month prison 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 suppressed dissenting voices. In an August 22 decree, Tiani, Niger’s military leader, announced the unexplained revocation 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 supported 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 charges 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. These violent incidents may have been fueled by political tensions surrounding a potential ECOWAS military intervention.

On July 27, pro-government supporters ransacked and set fire to the PNDS headquarters in Niamey. They also burned dozens of vehicles and physically assaulted several party members gathered at the headquarters. “A young man hit me with a stick, while another grabbed my breasts,” a woman reported. Witnesses stated that security forces failed to take adequate measures to prevent the violence.

In August, young members of self-defense groups backing the coup sexually assaulted several women during unauthorized patrols at major roundabouts in Niamey, according to police and the Nigerien Women’s Rights League. At least four victims filed complaints with the Nigerien police against their attackers, but no one has yet been charged for these offenses.

While the CNSP suspended Niger’s constitution, it 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 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, the right to dissent, and press freedom are fundamental to enjoying other rights and ensuring government accountability. The transitional military authorities must act decisively to halt the escalating threats, harassment, intimidation, arrests, and violence targeting Nigerien journalists, media organizations, and opponents, and implement effective measures to respect, protect, promote, and fulfill the rights of everyone in the country.”

Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office