Niger: human rights defender Moussa Tiangari held for six months

Unjust detention of Moussa Tiangari continues in Niger

Human rights organizations are calling for the immediate release of Moussa Tiangari, a prominent civil society activist and defender of human rights in Niger. The Nigerien authorities must end his arbitrary detention and cease using terrorism charges to silence dissenting voices, as stated by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) under the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Six months in detention without justification

On December 3, 2024, individuals claiming to be police officers arrested Moussa Tiangari at his home in Niamey, the capital of Niger. On January 3, 2025, the Niamey Court of First Instance charged him with serious offenses, including “forming a criminal association linked to a terrorist enterprise“, “undermining national defense“, and “conspiracy against state authority in collusion with enemy powers“. If convicted of conspiracy with enemy powers, he faces the death penalty.

Following his indictment, Tiangari was transferred to Filingué prison, located 170 kilometers from Niamey, where he remains arbitrarily held in pre-trial detention. To date, no judge has reviewed the validity of the charges against him.

Silencing criticism through terrorism accusations

Three weeks before his arrest, on November 12, 2024, Moussa Tiangari criticized the Nigerien Interior Minister’s decision to revoke the licenses of two humanitarian NGOs. He also denounced the creation of a terrorism database, a measure that infringes on the human rights of Nigerien citizens. Under an August 2024 ordinance, individuals labeled as terrorists risk losing their Nigerien nationality.

According to Nigerien criminal law, terrorism-related charges can lead to up to four years of non-renewable pre-trial detention. However, upon reviewing the charges, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, and OMCT confirmed that none of the accusations pertain to internationally recognized offenses. Instead, they stem from the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression.

Systematic repression of dissenting voices

Human rights organizations warn that Tiangari’s arrest is part of a broader pattern of repression by Nigerien authorities, who target critics to suppress public dissent.

« Moussa Tiangari is detained solely for exercising his human rights. We urge the authorities to release him immediately and drop all charges against him. We are deeply concerned that such accusations are being used to silence government critics, » Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa, stated.

« His arrest and detention send a chilling message to anyone who dares to criticize Niger’s shift toward autocracy, » remarked Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Sahel Researcher at Human Rights Watch.

« Moussa Tiangari’s detention is a grave and counterproductive mistake. For decades, he has embodied the Nigerien people’s call for democracy, security, sovereignty over resources, and independence. A government that respects the people’s will would release him, » added Isidore Ngueuleu, OMCT’s Regional Director for Africa.

Background: A leader of civil society under siege

Moussa Tiangari, 55, serves as the Secretary-General of Alternatives Espaces Citoyens (AEC), a civil society organization. On December 3, 2024, at approximately 7:30 PM, armed men in civilian clothing forcibly entered his Niamey home, arrested him, and confiscated his phone, laptop, and luggage. His whereabouts remained unknown for two days before he was located at the Central Service for Combating Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime in Niamey.

In March and May 2025, Nigerien courts rejected appeals filed by Tiangari’s lawyers to dismiss the case and transfer it out of the specialized anti-terrorism chamber. His legal team has since filed an appeal against these rulings.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, and OMCT continue to demand his immediate and unconditional release. Amnesty International’s members have also mobilized in support of his case.

In a joint press release published in July 2024, the organizations expressed grave concerns over the repression of opposition figures, media, and peaceful dissent since the military takeover in July 2023. A March 2025 report by Amnesty International further documented the crackdown on former government officials and critical voices following the coup.