Moussa Tchangari's Arrest: A Call for Justice and Human Rights

On 3 December 2024, my friend Moussa Tchangari was arrested at his home in Niamey by officers who did not identify themselves. He was charged with "criminal association in connection with a terrorist enterprise," "undermining national defence," and "intelligence with enemy powers." This has been very painful for me because he had just returned from my 70th birthday symposium in Abuja. Activists from different places gathered to discuss how we can improve the lives of Africans, and Moussa was one of the guests from outside Nigeria.

Tchangari's English is not very strong, so he spoke in Hausa at the symposium. He called for African solidarity to defend democracy and civic space. He flew back to Niamey the next day and was arrested. It feels more like a kidnap because the people who took him did not explain why. He was taken by many armed men from his house just one hour after arriving from Abuja. The charges came after he publicly criticized recent military governance policies and spoke out against the repression of civic space. Just three weeks before his arrest, on 12 November 2024, Tchangari had criticized the Niger interior minister’s decision to revoke the licenses of two NGOs in the country on social media.

Moussa Tchangari is a respected Nigerien journalist, civil society leader, and human rights defender with over thirty years of activism. He is the Secretary-General of Alternative Escapes Citoyens, a civic group in Niger that promotes advocacy and public education via community radio stations he started in many cities. Tchangari has been active in Nigerien media and civil society since the 1990s. He has written about Niger’s democratic development and the security issues in the Sahel. He is best known for organizing street protests against hunger and poverty and for expanding democracy in Niger. Previous military governments have arrested him several times.

In 2015, Tchangari was arrested by President Mahamadou Issoufou's government for criticizing its failure to handle the Boko Haram insurgency and its impact on civilians. He was released after international organizations like Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders supported him.

Tchangari was initially held in Niamey, where his family could visit him. Later, he was moved to Filingue, making it harder for his family to see him. Many human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Transparency International, and Human Rights Watch, have condemned his arrest and called for his release. A group of lawyers in Niamey has been defending him for free.

Last week, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said Tchangari's detention is arbitrary and violates international human rights law. The UN group released an opinion on 23 June, urging Nigerien authorities to free Tchangari and compensate him. They also called for an independent investigation into his detention and accountability for those involved. They described him as a 56-year-old critic of the military government. He was arrested in Niamey and held without communication for two days before being found at the Central Service for Combating Terrorism and Organised Transnational Crime.

On 3 January 2025, Niamey’s High Court charged him with "terrorism apology" and "plotting against the authority of the state through collaboration with enemy powers," among other charges. The judge ordered him to be held in Filingue prison, which is about 170 kilometers from Niamey. Family visits need court approval and are limited to twice a week due to the distance. In 2025, Tchangari’s lawyers tried three times to get him released, but they were unsuccessful. He has not yet gone to trial.

It has been 18 months since his arrest, and Moussa Tchangari still does not know the identity of the alleged terrorist group he is accused of being linked to. The charges against him could lead to the death penalty. Since the junta took power in July 2023, they have targeted political opponents, civil society members, and journalists. The military authorities continue to detain former President Mohamed Bazoum and have pulled Niger out of important regional and international accountability bodies.

I stand with the UN working group, Amnesty International, and others calling for the immediate release of Tchangari and other detainees held on false and political charges. The authorities in Niamey should respect international law and uphold human rights, including the rights to freedom, due process, and a fair trial. Most importantly, Niger’s leaders should stop using terrorism charges to silence dissent.

Dear Comrade Moussa, stay strong. Progressive forces around the world are fighting for your freedom.