Responding to the alarming forced disappearance of Nigerien journalist and blogger Samira Sabou, who was reportedly abducted from her home on September 30 by masked individuals identifying as security personnel, Ousmane Diallo, a Sahel researcher for Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, issued a strong statement:

“We are profoundly concerned by Samira Sabou’s forced disappearance and urge the Conseil national pour le salut de la patrie (CNSP) to immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her swift, unconditional release. If the authorities genuinely do not know where she is being held, they must launch an immediate investigation to ascertain her location. Each passing day infringes further upon Samira Sabou’s right to liberty and a fair trial, while also exposing her to the grave risk of torture or other forms of ill-treatment.”

Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher for Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa

Samira Sabou is a devoted advocate for human rights and a vocal critic of corruption. It is highly probable that her forced abduction is directly linked to her fervent activism and her recent public denunciations of arbitrary detentions carried out by the CNSP.

“Niger has ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Forced Disappearance. We emphatically call upon the CNSP to uphold its human rights obligations under both national and international law. This includes strictly prohibiting forced disappearances and safeguarding the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and press freedom. We also demand that they respect and protect human rights defenders, whose rights are guaranteed by Articles 4, 6, and 7 of Niger’s June 2022 law on the rights and duties of human rights defenders, as well as by international legal frameworks.”

Additional details

Samira Sabou is a journalist, activist, and president of Niger’s bloggers’ association. On September 30, 2023, she was apprehended at her mother’s residence in Niamey by several masked men who identified themselves as members of the security forces. These individuals displayed their professional identification cards and insisted that Samira accompany them into a vehicle, where 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 have they received any information regarding her whereabouts. Furthermore, the Niamey police’s criminal investigation department claims to have no knowledge of her case.

Other recent infringements on individuals exercising their right to freedom of expression have also been documented.

For instance, on October 3, Samira Ibrahim, a social media user also known as “Precious Mimi,” received a six-month suspended prison sentence and was fined 300,000 CFA francs (approximately 479 USD) for “producing data likely to disturb public order.” Her charges stemmed from a Facebook post in which she referenced Algeria’s refusal to acknowledge Niger’s new government.