Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa, through Sahel researcher Ousmane Diallo, has voiced deep concern following the forced disappearance of Samira Sabou. The Nigerien journalist and blogger was reportedly abducted from her home on September 30 by masked individuals identifying themselves as security personnel.
We are profoundly alarmed by Samira Sabou’s forced disappearance and urgently call upon the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) to disclose her whereabouts without delay and ensure her swift, unconditional release. Should the authorities genuinely be unaware of her detention location, an immediate investigation is imperative to ascertain the facts. Each passing day constitutes a further infringement on Samira Sabou’s fundamental rights to liberty and a fair trial, simultaneously exposing her to potential torture or other forms of ill-treatment.
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel Researcher, Amnesty International Regional Office for West and Central Africa
Samira Sabou is a human rights advocate deeply committed to exposing corruption. It is highly probable that her enforced disappearance is directly connected to her fervent activism and her recent public condemnations 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. We also call upon them to respect and protect human rights defenders, whose rights are guaranteed by 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 Information
Samira Sabou serves as 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 claimed to be members of the security forces. These masked individuals presented their professional identification and insisted that Samira accompany them into a vehicle, where she was blindfolded 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 ascertain her whereabouts. The criminal investigation department of the Niamey police also asserts no knowledge of the incident.
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 known as “Precious Mimi,” received a six-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 CFA francs (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 recognize Niger’s new government.