Amnesty International Report 2014/15 - Niger

Republic of Niger
Head of state: Mahamadou Issoufou
Head of government: Brigi Rafini

A new government was appointed in August 2013 incorporating members of the opposition; but some of them resigned later in protest at under-representation. The government implemented strict anti-terrorism security measures, including restricted movement in certain neighbourhoods of Niamey, the capital, where foreign embassies were located. Niger was hosting over 57,000 refugees at the end of the year, including 16,000 as a result of the 2013 Mali conflict and the ongoing violence in northeastern Nigeria.

Legal, constitutional or institutional developments

In May, more than 30 members of the political opposition, the Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation, were arrested. The arrests happened in connection with an investigation into shots fired at the home of a deputy of the party in power, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, and a Molotov cocktail attack on the party's headquarters. They were detained for two weeks to three months and charged with undermining the authority of the State. A trial had not been held by the end of the year.

Armed conflict

Armed groups, including the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and Boko Haram, perpetrated attacks in different locations around the country during 2013 and 2014, including attacks against civilians.

In October, armed groups launched simultaneous attacks on a security post of the Mangaïzé camp for Malian refugees, Ouallam prison, and a military patrol at Bani Bangou, all in the Tillabéry region near the border with Mali. At least nine members of the security forces were killed.

Excessive use of force

In May, student demonstrations took place over the late payment of scholarships. The police used excessive force to repress the protest. At least 30 students were injured and 72 were arrested and released after 19 days of detention. There was a hunger strike to protest against the arrests. The students were charged with acts of vandalism and attacks on public property and were on provisional release at the end of the year.

Freedom of expression – human rights defenders and journalists

In January, two journalists, including Soumana Idrissa Maïga, director of the private daily L'Enquêteur, were held in police custody for 96 hours in Niamey and charged with plotting against state security after publishing an article which reported that certain persons were saying the days of the administration were numbered. No trial had been organized at the end of the year.

In July, Ali Idrissa, co-ordinator for the civil society network Publish What You Pay, was taken into police custody twice following a press conference during which he called on the French mining company AREVA to respect Niger's mining laws and denounced aspects of the France-Niger relationship as neo-colonial. A further 10 civil society leaders were also arrested in Niamey on 18 July and released the same evening.

International justice

In March, Colonel Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi's son, Saadi al-Gaddafi, was extradited to Libya. He had stayed in Niger on "humanitarian grounds" since September 2012. There were serious concerns over the Libyan authorities' ability to ensure a fair trial before an ordinary civilian court in this and other similar cases of al-Gaddafi loyalists, and that his trial may result in the death penalty.