Niger’s post-coup government: a perilous path for human rights

Following the military coup on July 26, 2023, authorities in Niger have arbitrarily arrested dozens of former government officials and 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 upheld.

On July 26, General Abdourahmane Tiani, alongside other Nigerien army officers from the self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), overthrew the government led by President Mohamed Bazoum. Since the coup, President Bazoum, his wife, and son have been held at the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital, with numerous other officials also arrested. The new authorities have engaged in threats, harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests targeting journalists, young activists, alleged political opponents, and anyone expressing critical viewpoints.

The arbitrary arrests and infringements on freedom of expression by the authorities are steering Niger onto a perilous course regarding human rights.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“The authorities must cease arbitrary detentions, uphold human rights, and guarantee press freedom,” she added.

In response to the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) closed its borders with Niger on July 30, suspended commercial and financial transactions, and threatened military intervention if the CNSP did not release and reinstate President Bazoum. By August 10, ECOWAS had imposed sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on both the coup leaders and the nation. On August 22, the African Union suspended Niger from participation in its bodies, institutions, and activities, yet maintained a cautious stance on potential West African military intervention, advocating for a peaceful approach to achieve a “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 excluding Niger from the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Since the military takeover, several former government officials have been arbitrarily apprehended, 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 by a military tribunal, despite being civilians, which contravenes due process guarantees. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch classify these detentions as arbitrary, citing their politically motivated nature.

Human Rights Watch has voiced serious concerns regarding the well-being 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 announced their intention to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason” and endangering national security, though he has yet to appear 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 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, challenged the legality of his detention before the Niamey high court. On October 6, the court ordered the release of Bazoum’s son; however, the CNSP has not yet implemented this decision. In an October 20 press release, Bazoum’s lawyers stated that he, his wife, and son were being held incommunicado, refuting military leaders’ claims that he attempted to escape.

Members of media organizations and journalists have informed Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that since the coup, they have experienced escalating pressure in their professional activities, along with intimidation, including threats of violence and surveillance from government agents and other individuals.

Following the coup, local and international journalists have faced threats, online verbal harassment, and physical assaults. On August 3, the CNSP indefinitely suspended the 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 civilian 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’s 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 released pending trial.

Samira Sabou has been arrested previously for 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 actively silenced dissenting voices. In an August 22 decree, Tiani, Niger’s military leader, announced the unexplained revocation of six academics and state officials. The day prior, these individuals, along with other academics, had signed a petition distancing themselves from an August 1 statement by the National Union of Teachers and Researchers that supported the CNSP. On October 3, Samira Ibrahim, a social media user known as “Precious Mimi,” was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 CFA francs (US$480) for “producing data likely to disturb public order.” She was charged for a Facebook post referencing Algeria’s refusal to recognize the new Nigerien government.

After the coup, CNSP supporters, sometimes organized into self-defense committees, committed acts of violence against members of Bazoum’s party, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya), and others. This violence may have been fueled by political tensions related to a potential ECOWAS military intervention.

On July 27, government supporters ransacked and set fire to the PNDS headquarters in Niamey. They also burned dozens of vehicles and physically assaulted several party members gathered at its headquarters. “A young man hit me with a stick, while another grabbed my breasts,” a woman recounted. Witnesses reported that security forces failed to take adequate measures to prevent the violence.

In August, young members of self-defense groups supporting the coup sexually assaulted several women during illegal 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 been charged for these offenses to date.

The CNSP has suspended Niger’s constitution but has 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 the right to freedom of expression and prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention.

“Niger stands 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 fundamental to the enjoyment of other rights and to holding the government accountable. 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 take effective measures to respect, protect, promote, and implement the rights of all within the country.

Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office