Two nigerien journalists freed after eight months in detention

Two Nigerien journalists released after eight months behind bars

After eight months of detention, Youssouf Seriba and Oumarou Kané, two prominent Nigerien journalists, have been set free. They were arrested in November 2025 and faced charges of « complicity in the dissemination » of a document deemed harmful to public order. While their release marks a momentary relief, the situation for press freedom in Niger remains dire, with additional journalists still held in custody.

Two Nigerien journalists released after eight months in detention

Freedom restored for Seriba and Kané

Youssouf Seriba, founder and editor of the online platform Les Échos du Niger, and Oumarou Kané, editor of the newspaper Le Hérisson, are now free. Their release follows months of legal battles and international pressure. The two journalists were apprehended in Kollo, a town near Niamey, in late 2025. Their alleged offense? Sharing a document linked to a press briefing held by the Fonds de solidarité, a solidarity fund established by the military-led authorities.

Press freedom under siege in Niger

The document in question had initially circulated on social media before being repurposed by supporters of former President Mohamed Bazoum to challenge the legitimacy of the current military regime, which seized power in 2023. Despite the release of Seriba and Kané, another journalist implicated in the same case remains imprisoned. Reports indicate that 13 journalists were arrested in Niger in 2025 alone, with media watchdogs warning of escalating restrictions on free speech under the military administration led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.