Amnesty international presses Niger for immediate release of journalist samira sabou
Amnesty International has voiced deep concern following the enforced disappearance of Samira Sabou, a prominent Nigerien journalist and blogger. She was reportedly abducted from her residence on September 30 by masked individuals who identified themselves as security personnel. Responding to this alarming development, Ousmane Diallo, a Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, issued a strong statement:
“We are profoundly troubled by the enforced disappearance of Samira Sabou. We call upon the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) to immediately disclose her location and ensure her swift and unconditional liberation. If the authorities genuinely do not know where she is being held, they must launch an immediate investigation to ascertain her whereabouts. Each passing day infringes further upon Samira Sabou’s fundamental rights to liberty and a fair trial, while also exposing her to the grave risk of torture or other forms of ill-treatment.”
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa
Samira Sabou is widely recognized as a dedicated human rights advocate and a vocal critic of corruption. Her enforced disappearance is highly likely linked to her robust activism and her recent public condemnations of arbitrary arrests carried out by the CNSP.
“Niger is a signatory to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. We urgently appeal to the CNSP to uphold its human rights obligations under both national and international law. This includes adhering to the prohibition of enforced disappearances and safeguarding the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Furthermore, we demand that they respect and protect human rights defenders, whose rights are guaranteed by Articles 4, 6, and 7 of the June 2022 law on the rights and duties of human rights defenders, as well as by international statutes.”
Further details
Samira Sabou, a journalist, activist, and president of Niger’s bloggers’ association, was apprehended on September 30, 2023. The incident occurred at her mother’s home in Niamey, where she was taken by several masked individuals who presented identification cards indicating they were members of the security forces. These masked men insisted Samira accompany them into a vehicle, where she was hooded before being driven to a destination unknown to her family and legal counsel. Since her apprehension, neither her family nor her lawyer has been able to communicate with her or ascertain her location. The criminal investigation department of the Niamey police also states they have no information regarding her case.
This incident is not isolated; other violations against individuals exercising their right to freedom of expression have recently been documented. For instance, on October 3, Samira Ibrahim, a social media user known as “Precious Mimi,” received a six-month suspended prison sentence and a 300,000 CFA franc (approximately 479 USD) fine. She was convicted for “producing data likely to disturb public order” in connection with a Facebook post that referenced Algeria’s refusal to acknowledge the new Nigerien government.
