In response to the enforced disappearance of Samira Sabou, a prominent Nigerien journalist and blogger, who was abducted from her home on September 30 by masked individuals claiming to be security service members, Ousmane Diallo, a Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, issued a strong statement:
“We are profoundly concerned by Samira Sabou’s enforced disappearance and call upon the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) to immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her swift, unconditional release. Should authorities genuinely be unaware of her detention location, they must launch an immediate investigation to ascertain it. Each passing day infringes further upon Samira Sabou’s right to liberty and a fair trial, simultaneously increasing her vulnerability to 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 her recent denunciations of arbitrary arrests carried out by the CNSP.
“Niger has ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. We strongly urge 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 press freedom. Furthermore, we call on them to respect and protect human rights defenders, whose rights are enshrined in Articles 4, 6, and 7 of the June 2022 law concerning the rights and duties of human rights defenders, as well as by international legal frameworks.”
Additional Details
Samira Sabou, a journalist, activist, and president of Niger’s bloggers’ association, was apprehended at her mother’s residence in Niamey on September 30, 2023. Several masked men, identifying themselves as security forces, carried out the arrest. These individuals presented their professional identification cards and insisted that Samira accompany them into a vehicle, where she was hooded and transported to an undisclosed 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 have they received any information regarding her destination. The Niamey police’s criminal investigation department also claims to have no knowledge of her case.
Other recent infringements have been documented against individuals merely exercising their right to freedom of expression.
On October 3, Samira Ibrahim, a social media user also recognized 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 referred to Algeria’s refusal to acknowledge the new Nigerien government.