Do not court martial mutineers, rights groups urge

Human rights groups in Niger have appealed to the government not to try the soldiers who recently went on mutiny by court martial, as demanded by the country's ruling coalition. The groups' umbrella body, the Collectif des organisations de defense des droits de l'homme au Niger (acronym-CODH), said they were "angered and scandalised" because martial law was "reminiscent of an uncivilised state," a statement issued on Thursday said. Niger's ruling coalition, the Alliance des forces démocratiques (AFD), had on Wednesday called on the government to set up "as soon as possible, a martial court as prescribed by military regulations to try the soldiers guilty of rebelling against the state and their accomplices". CODH said government should instead set up an independent commission of inquiry to clarify the events surrounding the mutiny and call an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss the current developments in the country. It also called the international community "to mobilise so as to thwart the return to dictatorship in Niger." The human rights groups also called for the repeal of a presidential decree of 5 August on freedom of the press, saying it was unconstitutional and contradicted international instruments ratified by Niger. "Basic freedoms are established rights which can, under no circumstances, be questioned," CODH said, calling on civil society as a whole to "create a broad front to resist the confiscation of democratic rights." President Mamadou Tandja had on Monday issued a decree banning "the propagation by any communication media of information or allegations that could jeopardise national defence operations". Any media house that violated the ban would be suspended or temporarily closed, the decree said. The mutiny began on 30 July, when soldiers in Diffa, 1500 km east of the capital, Niamey, took over their barracks and detained various officials to press demands for improved living conditions and the payment of overdue allowances. Those in N'Guigmi and N'Gourti, farther east, also joined the mutiny. The government decreed a state of emergency in the region and arrested some army officers whom it suspected of supporting the mutiny. Tandja has said that the state would impose exemplary sanctions against those directly or indirect responsibility for the mutiny.