Since the military coup on July 26, 2023, Nigerien authorities have arbitrarily detained numerous former government officials and suppressed critical media and peaceful dissent, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These authorities must promptly release individuals held on politically motivated charges and ensure adherence to due process safeguards.
On July 26, General Abdourahmane Tiani, alongside other Nigerien army officers forming the self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum’s government. Since this coup, President Bazoum, his wife, and son have been confined to the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital, while other officials also face arrest. The authorities have engaged in threats, harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detentions targeting journalists, youth, suspected political opponents, and individuals expressing critical viewpoints.
The arbitrary detentions and infringements on freedom of expression by the authorities are steering Niger onto a perilous course concerning human rights.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Sahel Researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“The authorities should cease arbitrary detentions, uphold human rights, and guarantee press freedom.”
In response to the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) closed borders between Niger and its member states on July 30, suspended commercial and financial transactions with Niger, and threatened military intervention if the CNSP did not reinstate President Bazoum. On August 10, ECOWAS enacted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against the coup leaders and the nation. Subsequently, on August 22, the African Union suspended Niger from participating in its bodies, institutions, and activities, though it maintained a cautious stance on potential West African military intervention, advocating for a peaceful approach to “the return to constitutional order.”
On October 11, Nigerien authorities ordered the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Louise Aubin, to leave the country within 72 hours. They accused UN Secretary-General António Guterres of “sabotage” for Niger’s exclusion from the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Following the coup, authorities have arbitrarily arrested several former government officials, including 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. They were subsequently charged with undermining state security before a military tribunal, despite being civilians, a move that contradicts due process guarantees. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch classify these detentions as arbitrary, citing political motivations.
Human Rights Watch has expressed deep 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 uphold their human rights. On August 13, the authorities declared their intention to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining national security, though he has not yet appeared before a judge. On September 18, Mohamed Bazoum filed a petition with the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, alleging human rights violations against himself and his family during his detention. He also sought his immediate reinstatement as President of Niger. On October 3, Salem Mohamed Bazoum, son of the deposed President Bazoum, challenged the legality of his detention before the Niamey High Court. The court ordered his release on October 6; however, the CNSP has not yet implemented this ruling. In a press statement issued on October 20, Bazoum’s lawyers stated that he, his wife, and his son were being held incommunicado, refuting military leaders’ claims of an escape attempt.
Media organization members and journalists informed Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that since the coup, they have experienced escalating pressure in their work, alongside intimidation, including threats of violence and surveillance from government agents and other individuals.
Following the coup, both local and international journalists 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 such as human rights.”
On September 30, individuals identifying themselves as security forces personnel apprehended blogger and journalist Samira Sabou at her mother’s Niamey residence. “Men in plain clothes, claiming to be security forces, came to arrest Samira,” her husband recounted to Amnesty International. “They placed a hood over her head and took her away.” Samira Sabou’s whereabouts remained unknown for seven days. Initially, the Niamey judicial police denied her arrest, but on October 7, she was transferred to the Niamey police’s criminal investigation department, 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 work. 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 effectively silenced dissenting voices. A decree issued on August 22 by Tiani, Niger’s military leader, announced the unexplained dismissal of six academics and state officials. The day prior, these dismissed individuals, along with other academics, had signed a petition disassociating themselves from an August 1 statement by the National Union of Teachers and Researchers that supported the CNSP. On October 3, social media user Samira Ibrahim, 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 indictment stemmed from a Facebook post referencing Algeria’s refusal to recognize the new Nigerien government.
Following the coup, CNSP supporters, occasionally 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 other individuals. These violent incidents may have been exacerbated by political tensions surrounding a potential military intervention by ECOWAS.
On July 27, government supporters ransacked and set fire to the PNDS headquarters in Niamey. They also torched dozens of vehicles and physically assaulted several party members who had gathered at the premises. “A young man hit me with a stick while another grabbed my breasts,” a woman reported. Witnesses indicated that security forces failed to take adequate measures to prevent the violence.
In August, young members of pro-coup self-defense groups sexually assaulted several women during unauthorized patrols at major roundabouts in Niamey, according to police and the Nigerien Women’s Rights League. At least four victims filed complaints with the Nigerien police against their attackers, but no one has yet been charged for these offenses.
The CNSP suspended Niger’s constitution but 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 signatory, guarantees freedom of expression and prohibits arbitrary arrests or detentions.
“Niger is at a critical juncture,” stated Ousmane Diallo, Sahel Researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office.
Freedom of expression, dissent, and press freedom are crucial for the enjoyment of other rights and for governmental accountability. The transitional military authorities must act decisively to end the escalating threats, harassment, intimidation, arrests, and violence against Nigerien journalists, media organizations, and opponents, and implement effective measures to respect, protect, promote, and fulfill the rights of everyone in the country.
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel Researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office
