Niger / Africa

Dakar, February 6, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malian authorities to immediately release Youssouf Sissoko, who was detained on Thursday for publishing a commentary piece criticizing neighboring Niger’s president’s comments about a jihadist attack. “In recent years, Malian authorities have drastically reduced the media’s ability to criticize their actions and they are now…

Dakar, January 26, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in Niger to release Gazali Abdou Tasawa, a correspondent for the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), who was arrested over a report on Nigerian refugees living by a cemetery. “Gazali Abdou Tasawa is the fifth journalist trapped behind bars in Niger because of reporting…

Dakar, November 7, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Nigerien authorities to free journalists Ibro Chaibou, Youssouf Sériba, and Oumarou Abou Kané who were remanded in southern Niger’s Kollo prison on November 3. The three were initially arrested on October 30 and are accused of sending an invitation to a government news conference to…

Dakar, September 17, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in Niger to immediately release Ali Soumana, publishing director of the privately owned Le Courrier newspaper, after Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine complained of defamation. “Ali Soumana’s imprisonment illustrates that press freedom in Niger has declined since last year, when President Abdourahmane Tchiani reintroduced…

Dakar, May 15, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Nigerien authorities to swiftly and unconditionally release journalists Hamid Mahmoud, Massaouda Jaharou, and Mahaman Sani, with the privately owned Sahara FM radio station, after they were arrested for the second time in four days on May 10 for broadcasting information about the country’s military cooperation…

Dakar, December 13, 2024 – Nigerien authorities have suspended the publicly-funded British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for three months and announced the Nigerien government would bring a complaint of “incitement to genocide and inter-community massacre” against the French government-owned Radio France Internationale (RFI). “The Nigerien authorities should reverse their suspension of the BBC and their intentions to take legal action…

Dakar, June 20, 2024—Nigerien authorities must decriminalize defamation and ensure that the country’s cybercrime law does not unduly restrict the work of the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday. On June 7, Niger’s head of state Abdourahamane Tchiani, who overthrew the democratically elected president in July 2023, reintroduced prison sentences of one…

Dakar, May 7, 2024 — Nigerien authorities must immediately release Idrissa Soumana Maïga, editor of the privately owned newspaper L’Enquêteur, and allow him to report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. An investigative judge at the court in Niamey, the capital, charged Maïga with “undermining national defense” and ordered his transfer to Niamey…

Dakar, Senegal, October 12, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Nigerien authorities to drop all allegations against journalist Samira Sabou and allow her to work freely. “Authorities in Niger must swiftly drop all legal proceedings against journalist Samira Sabou, return her phone, and ensure that journalists in the country can work without fear…

Dakar, October 2, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the immediate release of Nigerien online journalist Samira Sabou after her arrest by unidentified men on September 30. “The Nigerien authorities must urgently identify the men who arrested journalist Samira Sabou on September 30 and ensure her immediate release and safety,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s…