Niger’s authorities urged to end arbitrary detention of civil society leader
Human rights organizations are calling for the immediate release of Moussa Tiangari, a prominent civil society leader and human rights defender in Niger. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) have jointly condemned his detention under terrorism-related charges, which they describe as an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
Tiangari was arrested at his home in Niamey on December 3, 2024, by individuals claiming to be police officers. On January 3, 2025, the Niamey High Court charged him with serious offenses including “association with a terrorist enterprise,” “undermining national defense,” and “conspiracy against state authority in collusion with enemy powers.” If convicted of the latter charge, he faces the death penalty.
Detention without judicial review
Following his indictment, Tiangari was transferred to Filingué prison, located 170 kilometers from Niamey, where he remains in arbitrary preventive detention. Crucially, no judge has reviewed the validity of the charges against him since his arrest.
Marceau Sivieude, interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa at Amnesty International, stated: “Moussa Tiangari is being held solely for exercising his human rights. We urge the authorities to release him immediately and drop all charges. We are deeply concerned by the use of such accusations to silence government critics.”
Criticism that sparked persecution
Three weeks before his arrest, on November 12, 2024, Tiangari publicly criticized the Nigerien Interior Minister’s decision to revoke the licenses of two humanitarian NGOs. He also spoke out against the creation of a database of individuals and groups linked to terrorism, a policy that infringes on the human rights of Nigerien citizens. Under an August 2024 ordinance, he risks losing his Nigerien nationality due to the terrorism-related charges against him.
The organizations involved in this case have analyzed the charges and confirmed that none of them constitute internationally recognized offenses. Instead, they all relate to the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression.
Systematic repression of dissent
Drissa Traoré, Secretary General of FIDH, commented: “The arrest of Moussa Tiangari is part of a broader pattern of repression by Nigerien authorities targeting and harassing critics to silence them.”
Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Sahel Researcher at Human Rights Watch, added: “His arrest and detention send a chilling message to anyone who dares to criticize the Nigerien regime’s slide into autocracy.”
Isidore Ngueuleu, Regional Africa Director at OMCT, emphasized: “The detention of Moussa Tiangari is a grave and counterproductive mistake. For decades, he has embodied the Nigerien people’s call for democracy, security, and resource sovereignty. A government that respects its people’s will would release him.”
Background and legal proceedings
Moussa Tiangari, aged 55, serves as Secretary General of Alternatives Espaces Citoyens (AEC), a civil society organization. On December 3, 2024, at approximately 7:30 PM, at least three armed men in civilian clothing forcibly entered his Niamey home, arrested him, and seized his phone, laptop, and luggage. His whereabouts were unknown for two days before he was located at the Central Service for Combating Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime in Niamey on December 5, 2024.
In March and May 2025, Nigerien courts dismissed appeals filed by Tiangari’s lawyers challenging the validity of the case and the jurisdiction of the specialized anti-terrorism court. His legal team has since filed an appeal against these rulings.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, and OMCT have all demanded Tiangari’s immediate and unconditional release. Amnesty International members have actively campaigned for his cause.
A joint press release from July 2024 by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and FIDH expressed grave concerns over the repression of opposition voices, media, and peaceful dissent following the July 2023 military coup. A March 2025 report by Amnesty International further documented the crackdown on former government officials and critical voices since the coup.
