1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Niger
  • News

Twenty-nine prisoners die by suffocation, news reports say

Twenty-nine prisoners suffocated to death in a cell into which they were forced by guards after a riot at the main prison in Niger's capital, Niamey, news organisations reported on Tuesday. They were among some 50 inmates whom guards had forced into the windowless cell after they protested against their conditions of detention, Reuters reported. It quoted a prison official as saying that they died from lack of air. AFP reported that the deaths occurred on Thursday and were reported on Monday by a private radio station.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join