Amnesty International (AI) has called on authorities in Niger Republic to immediately drop charges against three human rights activists in detention.
The rights defenders, who have been in prison for 100 days, were arrested after they demanded an investigation into alleged misuse of funds by Niger’s Ministry of Defence.
Authorities in the west African country arrested a journalist and trade unionist, Moudi Moussa, a leader of the teachers’ union, Halidou Mounkaila, and the National Coordinator of Tournons la Page, Maikoul Zodi, in March following a protest they organised in Niger’s capital, Niamey.
The Director for West and Central Africa at AI, Samira Daoud, said, ‘For nearly two years, journalists and human rights activists in Niger have been the target of repeated arbitrary arrests as a result of the authorities’ increasing clampdown on dissenting voices. These activists have been arrested on mostly trumped-up charges to undermine the peaceful exercise of their human rights and demands for accountability. Moudi Moussa, Halidou Mounkaila, and Maïkoul Zodi must be released immediately’.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been arrests of 27 activists, unionists, and journalists in the country.
Source: Amnesty
Photo source: Steve Conover
