Niger: post-coup authorities jeopardize fundamental rights
Since the military takeover on July 26, 2023, Nigerien authorities have engaged in arbitrary arrests of numerous former government officials and have systematically suppressed critical media outlets and peaceful dissent, as reported today by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These authorities must immediately release all individuals detained for politically motivated reasons and ensure that due process guarantees are rigorously upheld.
On July 26, General Abdourahmane Tiani, alongside other Nigerien army officers forming the self-proclaimed Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP), overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum’s government. Since this coup, President Bazoum, his wife, and son have been held at the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital, while other officials have also been apprehended. The ruling authorities have subjected journalists, young activists, perceived political opponents, and anyone expressing critical views to threats, harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention.
The arbitrary arrests and infringements on freedom of expression by the authorities are pushing Niger onto a perilous path regarding human rights.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“Authorities should cease arbitrary detentions, uphold human rights, and guarantee press freedom.”
In response to the coup, the Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (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 release President Bazoum and reinstate him. By August 10, ECOWAS had imposed sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, targeting the coup leaders and the nation. On August 22, the African Union suspended Niger from participation in its bodies, institutions, and activities, though it expressed reservations about a potential West African military intervention, advocating for a peaceful approach to facilitate “the return to constitutional order.”
On October 11, Nigerien authorities gave the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Louise Aubin, 72 hours to leave the country. They accused UN Secretary-General António Guterres of “sabotage” for excluding Niger from the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Following the coup, authorities arbitrarily detained several former government officials. These include 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. Despite being civilians, they were charged with undermining state security before a military tribunal, a move contravening due process guarantees. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch consider these detentions to be 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 authorities must ensure 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, yet he has not been brought 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 their 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 ordered his release on October 6; however, the CNSP has yet to implement this decision. In a press release on October 20, Bazoum’s lawyers stated that he, his wife, and his son were being held incommunicado, refuting claims by military leaders that he had attempted to escape.
Members of media organizations and individual journalists have informed Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that since the coup, they have experienced escalating pressure in their work, along with intimidation, including threats of violence and surveillance from government agents and other actors.
In the aftermath of the coup, local and international journalists have faced threats, online verbal harassment, and physical assaults. On August 3, the CNSP indefinitely suspended 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 views and actions of the new authorities,” a Nigerien journalist told Human Rights Watch. “Journalists prefer not to discuss sensitive issues like 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 plain clothes, claiming to be security forces, came to arrest Samira,” her husband explained to Amnesty International. “They put a hood over her head and took her away.” Samira Sabou’s whereabouts remained unknown for seven days. Niamey’s 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 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. A decree issued on August 22 by Tiani, Niger’s military leader, announced the dismissal of six academics and state officials without explanation. The day prior, these individuals, along with other academics, had signed a petition disassociating themselves from an August 1 statement by the Syndicat national des enseignants et chercheurs, which 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 charges stemmed from a Facebook post referencing Algeria’s refusal to recognize Niger’s new government.
Following the coup, CNSP supporters, sometimes organized into self-defense committees, perpetrated acts of violence against members of Bazoum’s party, the Parti nigérien pour la démocratie et le socialisme (PNDS-Tarayya), and others. This violence may have been exacerbated 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 destroyed dozens of vehicles and physically assaulted several party members gathered at the premises. “A young man hit me with a stick, while another grabbed my breasts,” recounted one woman. Witnesses stated that security forces did not take adequate measures to prevent these violent acts.
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 Ligue nigérienne des droits de la femme. 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 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 is at a critical juncture,” remarked Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office.
Freedom of expression, 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 against Nigerien journalists, media organizations, and opponents, and take effective measures to respect, protect, promote, and implement the rights of all individuals in the country.
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office
