Human rights violations in Niger after 2023 coup

The following analysis was developed ahead of Niger’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session, scheduled for April-May 2026. It assesses the country’s progress—or lack thereof—in implementing key recommendations from its last UPR cycle, with a sharp focus on arbitrary detentions, unlawful arrests, the plight of human rights defenders, and press freedom violations.

This report also scrutinizes Niger’s existing human rights legal framework, particularly its alignment—or divergence—with international standards on freedom of expression and press freedom, which have come under intensified pressure since the 2023 political transition.