Niger: crackdown on six journalists exposes press freedom crisis

Niger’s judicial crackdown on independent media escalates

On November 2, 2025, judicial police in Niamey arrested six journalists in a sweeping crackdown that directly violates Niger’s constitutionally protected press freedom. Three of these professionals now face arbitrary detention in the high-security prison of Kollo, just 50 kilometers south of the capital. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), through their joint Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, have condemned this judicial harassment and urgently called for the immediate, unconditional release of all detained journalists.

Who are the targeted journalists?

The crackdown ensnared prominent media figures including:

• Moussa Kaka, former RFI correspondent and current director of Radio-télévision Saraounia (RTS)
• Abdoul Aziz Idé, journalist with RTS’s Zarma service
• Ibro Chaibou, host of the “Club de la Presse” and RTS editorial secretary
• Youssouf Seriba, publisher of Échos du Niger
• Oumarou Kané, founder of the satirical weekly Le Hérisson
• Souleymane Brah, publisher of La Voix du Peuple

All face charges of “complicity in spreading information likely to disturb public order” under Niger’s cybercrime law, with potential sentences ranging from two to five years imprisonment.

Legal proceedings reveal systematic repression

Three journalists—Ibro Chaibou, Youssouf Seriba, and Oumarou Kané—were remanded in custody on November 3 following hours of interrogation. Meanwhile, Moussa Kaka, Abdoul Aziz Idé, and Souleymane Brah were released on bail, though their cases remain active.

The arrests stem from their professional coverage of a November 1 press briefing organized by the Fonds de Solidarité pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (FSSP), a government-established fund collecting mandatory contributions to support military operations against armed groups. The Observatory emphasized that merely reporting on an invitation or hosting a public debate cannot constitute a legal violation, let alone a threat to public order.

Systematic persecution reveals deeper crisis

This judicial harassment follows a disturbing pattern:

• Moussa Kaka previously faced similar persecution in 2007-2008 under former President Mamadou Tandja
• RFI, where Kaka worked, was shut down by Nigerien authorities in August 2023
• Since the July 2023 military coup, civil space has dramatically shrunk
• Other journalists like Hamid Mahmoud and Mahaman Sani of Sahara FM remain detained since May 2025 for reporting on alleged intelligence cooperation issues with Russia and Turkey

The Observatory condemned these actions as clear violations of:

• Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Calls for immediate action

The Observatory demands:

• Immediate release of all detained journalists
• Dropping of all charges against all six professionals
• Revision of Niger’s cybercrime law to comply with international human rights standards

The June 2024 ordinance expanding cybercrime penalties has raised particular concerns, as vague provisions could be weaponized against human rights defenders and journalists. The FIDH previously warned this legislation could enable abusive prosecutions under the guise of maintaining public order.