Communiqué  Posté le 14:32 11-04-2023, modifié le 14:32 11-04-2023 par Tournons la Page

Once again, the TLP-Niger National Coordination received the unsurprising but regrettable news that another human rights defender, Soumaila Mounkaila, who is responsible of the organization of Boukata, has been detained since February 16th!

He is accused of spreading "data of a nature to disturb public order" on the basis of Law 33-2019 on the repression of cybercrime.

It is important to remember that Soumaila is at least the fifth person to be arrested since the beginning of the year 2023 due to this repressive law. An average of more than one arrest per month.

Among our five colleagues arrested in the last four months, three are still in judicial proceedings:

• Soumaila Mounkaila, who is under arrest in the civil prison of Niamey and whose trial is scheduled for April 28;
• Idrissa Adamou, national coordinator of the NGO Notre Cause Commune (NCC), whose trial is scheduled for April 18, after several postponements due to the zeal of the prosecutor, who is unable to finish a simple transcript;
• Abdoulaye Saidou, national coordinator of M62, whose trial is scheduled for April 14, 2023.

Given all of the above, the TLP-Niger National Coordination:

• Supports unconditionally all political and/or opinion prisoners;
• Condemns in the strongest terms the instrumentalization of the Nigerien judiciary mechanism by the executive!
• Regret the contribution of certain judicial actors to the suppression of the basic rights of the citizens;
• Complains about this double speed legal system, adapted against the people for the profit of the government;
• Demands the immediate release and the end of all judicial harassment against human rights defenders.

Done in Niamey on April 10, 2023

The national coordinator

Maikoul Zodi

Photo : Niamey River
September 7, 2019
By Noah Maxwell