UN Working Group Declares Tchangari's Detention Arbitrary
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has determined that the detention of Nigerien journalist and activist Moussa Tchangari is arbitrary and violates international human rights law. In its opinion released on 23 June, the independent expert body called on Niger's military authorities to release Tchangari immediately and provide him with reparations. The group also urged an independent investigation into his arbitrary detention and accountability for those responsible.
Arrest and Charges
Moussa Tchangari, a 56-year-old outspoken critic of the military junta, was arrested at his home in Niamey on 3 December 2024 by plain-clothed officers. He was later charged with “criminal association in connection with a terrorist enterprise,” “undermining national defence,” and “intelligence with enemy powers.” According to Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development, Tchangari was returning from a symposium in Abuja where he had called for African solidarity in defending democracy. He was arrested one hour after arriving back in Niamey.
On 3 January 2025, Niamey's High Court added charges of “terrorism apology” and “plotting against the authority of the state through collaboration with enemy powers.” The investigating judge ordered his pretrial detention in Filingue prison, about 170 kilometres from Niamey. Family visits require judicial authorisation and are limited to twice a week due to the distance.
Background of Activism
Tchangari is a respected journalist, civil society leader, and human rights defender with over 30 years of activism. He serves as Secretary-General of Alternative Escapes Citoyens (Citizens' Alternative Spaces), a civic organisation that uses community radio stations for advocacy and public education. He began his career in the 1990s and has been active in Nigerien media and civil society, organising street processions and demonstrations against hunger and poverty. Previous military juntas had arrested him on multiple occasions.
His arrest followed his public critiques of military governance policies and advocacy against repression of civic space. On 12 November 2024, he criticised the interior minister's decision to revoke licenses of two humanitarian NGOs. In 2015, he was arrested under democratically elected President Mahamadou Issoufou for criticising the government's response to the Boko Haram insurgency, but was released after international support.
International Outcry and Legal Status
Numerous human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Transparency International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), have denounced his arrest and called for his release. A collective of lawyers in Niamey is defending him pro bono. Despite three appeals filed in 2025, Tchangari remains in pretrial detention without trial. He has not been informed of the identity of the alleged terrorist group he is accused of linking to, and the charges could carry the death penalty.
Since seizing power in July 2023, the junta has targeted political opponents, civil society members, and journalists. It continues to arbitrarily detain former President Mohamed Bazoum and has withdrawn Niger from the Economic Community of West African States and the International Criminal Court.
Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, who wrote the article, joins the UN working group and Amnesty International in calling for Tchangari's immediate release, stating: "The authorities in Niamey should uphold their obligations under international law and ensure respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights to liberty, due process, and a fair trial. Above all, Niger’s authorities should stop using terrorism-related charges to silence dissent."
