Civil society wants journalist released

Niger’s coalition of opposition parties has called on the government to release the director of ‘Le Republicain’ newspaper, Mamane Abou, who is serving a six-month jail for defamation. According to the government, Abou, who was arrested on 5 November and sentenced two days later, defamed the government in running an article that accused the government of awarding contracts, totalling US $7 million, to several businesses close to Prime Minister Hama Amadou without going through competitive bidding processes. The Coordination of Democratic Forces (CFD), the opposition coalition, staged a demonstration on Saturday in front of the national assembly in the capital, Niamey, during which it demanded the “immediate and unconditional” release of Abou. Opposition leaders strongly protested alleged irregularities in the way Abdou was arrested. Another CFD rally is planned in the town of Say, 55 south of the capital Niamey, where Abou is in jail and awaiting another trial for “theft and "illegally obtaining confidential administrative documents.” The arrest of Abou “is score-settling which says a lot about the instrumentalization of Niger’s institutions”, the CFD said in a statement on 6 November, hinting that the judicial system was under orders from the government. Local media asociations and journalists unions have all come out stongly against Abbou's arrest and have demanded his release. Human rights associations have also joined the battle, saying the arrest is a setback for democracy and free speech. The Niger Movement for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights rights called on the justice system to “resist the government’s will to manipulate it”, while encouraging the practice of investigative journalism and calling on President Mamadou Tandja to respect basic rights and liberties in the country. Last week, three journalists of the Anfani FM radio station were briefly arrested for broadcasting information on a conflict between farmers and cattle herders. In recent months, the government of Niger has taken action against several independent newspapers and radio stations, prompting cries of alarm from international media watchdog organisations. The Paris-based organised, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been particularly critical of the government's handling of the Mamane Abdou affair, arguing that "it is a very worrying development in terms of freedom of expression".