Niger crackdown on journalists violates press freedom rights

journalists in Niger face arbitrary detention for reporting on dissent

On november 2, 2025, judicial police in Niamey, Niger, arrested six journalists, with three subsequently held in arbitrary detention. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), through the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, have strongly condemned this judicial harassment and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained journalists.

key figures and charges against the journalists

The arrested journalists include:

• Moussa Kaka, former RFI correspondent and current director of Radio-télévision Saraounia (RTS);
• Abdoul Aziz Idé, journalist at RTS (Zarma service);
• Ibro Chaibou, host of the “press club” and RTS editorial secretary;
• Youssouf Seriba, editor-in-chief of Échos du Niger;
• Oumarou Kané, founder of the satirical weekly Le Hérisson;
• Souleymane Brah, editor-in-chief of La voix du peuple.

They have all been charged with “complicity in spreading information likely to disturb public order” under Article 31 of Niger’s cybercrime law (Law No. 2019-33 of July 3, 2019), as amended by Ordinance 2024-28 of June 7, 2024. This offense carries a potential prison sentence of two to five years.

On november 3, the investigating judge in Niamey placed Ibro Chaibou, Youssouf Seriba, and Oumarou Kané under pretrial detention at the high-security prison in Kollo, approximately 50 kilometers south of Niamey. Meanwhile, Moussa Kaka, Abdoul Aziz Idé, and Souleymane Brah were released on bail, though charges against them remain pending.

context of the arrests: reporting on dissenting voices

The arrests followed the publication of an invitation on social media—including Facebook—to Radio-télévision Saraounia (RTS) to cover a press conference organized by the Fonds de solidarité pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (FSSP). The FSSP is a state-backed structure enforcing mandatory financial contributions from employees, NGOs, and the public to “support the military in its fight against radical groups.”

The press conference was part of a broader debate titled “le club de la presse” hosted by RTS on October 31, 2025. The Observatory emphasized that merely publishing or discussing an invitation cannot constitute a violation of the law or a threat to public order. Such prosecutions are seen as an attempt to intimidate journalists and suppress press freedom in Niger.

This incident is not isolated. The Observatory noted a pattern of judicial harassment against journalists in Niger, including:

• Moussa Tchangari, a human rights defender arbitrarily detained for nearly 12 months;
• Hamid Mahmoud, Mahaman Sani, and Massaouda Jaharou, journalists from Sahara FM in Agadez, arrested in may 2025 for reporting on alleged intelligence cooperation breakdowns between Niger, Russia, and Turkey. While Massaouda Jaharou was released, Hamid Mahmoud and Mahaman Sani remain in detention at the Kollo prison.

legal violations and international obligations

The Observatory highlighted that these prosecutions violate Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of opinion and expression. The amended cybercrime law, particularly Ordinance 2024-28, has been criticized for reintroducing prison sentences for offenses such as defamation and spreading information deemed to disturb public order—risks that could be exploited to silence dissent.

This is not the first time Moussa Kaka has faced legal persecution. In 2007, he was charged with “complicity in undermining state authority” for his journalistic work and was detained until 2008. Additionally, RFI, where Kaka worked, was shut down by Nigerien authorities in August 2023.

urgent calls for justice and reform

The Observatory has urgently called on Nigerien authorities to:

• Release unconditionally Ibro Chaibou, Youssouf Seriba, Oumarou Kané, Hamid Mahmoud, and Mahaman Sani, who remain arbitrarily detained;
• Drop all charges against all six journalists, as well as Massaouda Jaharou;
• Review the cybercrime law to ensure compliance with international human rights standards, particularly Article 19 of the ICCPR and Article 9 of the African Charter.

The crackdown on journalists in Niger reflects a broader shrinkage of civic space since the July 27, 2023, military coup. Repeated violations of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, association, and assembly, have escalated, with journalists and human rights defenders increasingly targeted through arbitrary arrests and detentions.