Un expert from un urges Niger to free rights activist Moussa Tiangari immediately

July 8, 2026. The Observatory welcomes Working Group opinion No. 4/2026, adopted on March 23, 2026, and made public on June 23, 2026, which deems the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Moussa Tiangari “arbitrary.” This decision follows a complaint filed by the International League Against Arbitrary Detention (ILAAD) and sustained advocacy by civil society—particularly the Observatory—which has repeatedly demanded his immediate release.

On December 3, 2024, the Secretary-General of Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC), a Nigerien human rights organization advocating for migrant rights and democratic values, was abducted from his home in Niamey. He was held incommunicado for approximately 48 hours, raising concerns over potential torture and ill-treatment during this period. On December 5, 2024, Moussa Tiangari was located in the premises of Niamey’s Central Service for Combating Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime (SCLCT/CTO), where he was placed under custody. He was formally charged by the presiding investigating judge of the High Court of Niamey on January 3, 2025.

His arrest occurred on the same day he returned from Abuja, Nigeria, where he had attended the board meeting of the Nigerian Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), AEC’s partner organization. Days earlier, he had traveled to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to attend the seventh edition of the “Itinerant Humanitarian” international conference, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on November 28, 2024, marking the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. The event focused on challenges to humanitarian action and the importance of upholding international humanitarian law. A journalist with close ties to Nigerien authorities accused him in an article published on December 4, 2024, of delivering speeches during the conference that allegedly harmed Niger’s interests. Additionally, AEC had organized a critical conference on November 28, 2024, addressing the issue of nationality revocations imposed by Niger’s military regime, which was attended by the Prosecutor of the High Court of Niamey and former dignitaries, including a former Minister of Justice.

In its opinion, the Working Group ruled that Moussa Tiangari’s detention is arbitrary because it lacks legal justification, violates his right to a fair trial, and stems from discriminatory motives tied to his exercise of freedom of opinion and expression on matters of public interest, his right to participate in public affairs, and his rights to peaceful assembly and association. The UN body concluded that Niger’s authorities violated Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as Articles 2, 9, 14, 16, 19, 21, 22, 25, and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Observatory condemns the continued arbitrary detention of Moussa Tiangari at the Filingué security prison, despite the Working Group’s unequivocal findings. He faces charges of “apology for terrorism” (Article 399.1.17 (bis) of the Nigerien Penal Code), “endangering state security” (Articles 62 and following), “criminal association linked to a terrorist enterprise” (Article 399.1.19 (new)), “endangering national defense” (Articles 66 and following), and “conspiracy against state authority in collusion with enemy powers” (Articles 62 and following), which carry the death penalty upon conviction.

As recently as May 15, 2026, the appeals chamber of the specialized court in Niamey handling terrorism and transnational organized crime cases rejected his request for provisional release. Yet, Article 615 of Order No. 2026-10 of February 16, 2026, which establishes the Code of Criminal Procedure, stipulates that “preventive detention in terrorism cases […] cannot exceed twelve months, renewable once in criminal matters.” This should have allowed Mr. Tiangari’s release after 18 months in detention. While his lawyers filed a motion on June 19, 2026, urging the specialized appeals chamber to order his release, Order No. 2026-35 of June 26, 2026, retroactively amended Article 615 to extend the maximum duration of preventive detention in criminal matters to four years, renewable once. Tiangari’s legal team has warned that the penal code may have been manipulated to keep their client detained.

This is not the first time Moussa Tiangari has faced arbitrary detention. He has endured years of judicial harassment due to his peaceful human rights advocacy. In May 2015, he was arbitrarily detained for 10 days and prosecuted for “endangering national defense” and “statements likely to demoralize troops” in connection with reports published by AEC. On March 25, 2018, he was again arrested and held for four months, charged with “organizing and participating in an unauthorized demonstration”, “complicity in violence, assault, and property destruction” for his role in peaceful protests against the 2018 finance law. In March 2020, he was once more arrested and held for a month and a half in connection with an anti-corruption protest denouncing embezzlement in military equipment procurement.

Moussa Tiangari’s case reflects a broader crisis in Niger since the July 27, 2023, coup d’état. Civic space has shrunk dramatically, with repeated violations of fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression, opinion, association, assembly, and protest. Arbitrary arrests, detentions, and nationality revocations targeting human rights defenders and dissenting voices have become alarmingly common.

The Observatory urges Niger’s authorities to urgently comply with the Working Group’s opinion by immediately and unconditionally releasing Moussa Tiangari, dropping all charges against him, granting him reparations, and conducting a thorough, independent investigation into his arbitrary deprivation of liberty to identify and hold accountable those responsible. The Observatory also calls for an investigation into allegations of torture and ill-treatment against him.

Furthermore, Niger must end all forms of harassment—including judicial persecution—against Moussa Tiangari and other human rights defenders in the country. Authorities must prioritize upholding freedom of expression, as enshrined in international human rights law, particularly Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Niger is a signatory.