In response to the alarming enforced disappearance of Nigerien journalist and blogger Samira Sabou, abducted from her home on September 30 by masked individuals claiming to be security service members, Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, issued a strong statement:
“We are deeply concerned by the enforced disappearance of Samira Sabou. We call on the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) to immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her prompt and unconditional release. Should the authorities genuinely be unaware of her detention location, they must launch an immediate investigation to ascertain it. Each passing day further violates Samira Sabou’s right to liberty and a fair trial, placing her at heightened risk of torture or other forms of ill-treatment.”
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa
Samira Sabou is a dedicated advocate for human rights and a vocal critic of corruption. It is highly probable that her enforced disappearance is directly linked to her fervent activism and recent condemnations of arbitrary arrests carried out by the CNSP.
“Niger has ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. We urgently implore the CNSP to uphold its human rights obligations under both national and international law, which include prohibiting enforced disappearances and safeguarding the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. We also demand that they respect and protect human rights defenders, whose rights are guaranteed by Articles 4, 6, and 7 of the June 2022 law on the rights and duties of human rights defenders, as well as by international legal frameworks.”
Further details
Samira Sabou, a journalist, activist, and president of Niger’s bloggers’ association, was apprehended on September 30, 2023, at her mother’s residence in Niamey. Multiple masked men, identifying themselves as members of the security forces, conducted the arrest. These individuals presented their professional identification cards and insisted Samira accompany them to a vehicle. Once inside, she was hooded and transported to a location unknown to her family and legal counsel. Neither her family nor her lawyer has been able to communicate with her since her arrest, nor do they know where she was taken. The Niamey police’s criminal investigation department also claims to have no knowledge of her case.
Other recent infringements have targeted individuals merely exercising their right to freedom of expression.
On October 3, Samira Ibrahim, a social media user also known as “Precious Mimi,” received a six-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 CFA francs (approximately 479 USD). Her conviction was for “producing data likely to disturb public order,” stemming from a Facebook post where she referenced Algeria’s refusal to acknowledge the new Nigerien government.
