On June 7, Niger’s head of state Abdourahamane Tchiani, seen here declaring himself the country's leader after a July 2023 coup, reintroduced prison sentences and fines for defamation and insult via electronic means of communication, news reports said.
“The changes to Niger’s cybercrime law are a blow to the media community and a very disappointing step backwards for freedom of expression."

Nigerien authorities must decriminalise 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.

Abdourahamane Tchiani, who overthrew the democratically elected president in July 2023, reintroduced prison sentences of one to three years and a fine of up to 5 million CFA francs ($8,177) for defamation and insult via electronic means of communication, according to news reports.

A jail term of two to five years and a fine of up to 5 million CFA francs ($8,177) were also set for the dissemination of “data likely to disturb public order or undermine human dignity,” even if such information is true, according to CPJ’s review of a copy of the law.


“The changes to Niger’s cybercrime law are a blow to the media community and a very disappointing step backwards for freedom of expression,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator, Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. “It is not too late to change course by reforming the law to ensure that it cannot be used to stifle journalism.”


Previously, the crimes of defamation and insult were punishable with fines of up to 10 million CFA francs (US$16,312), while dissemination of data likely to disturb public order carried a penalty of six months to three years imprisonment.

The government abolished criminal penalties for defamation and insult in 2022 to bring the 2019 cybercrime law into line with the 2010 press freedom law.

On 12 June, Niger’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights Alio Daouda said in a statement that the 2022 amendments were made “despite the opposition of the large majority of Nigeriens.” He said that decriminalisation of the offences had led to a “proliferation of defamatory and insulting remarks on social networks and the dissemination of data likely to disturb public order or undermine human dignity” despite authorities’ calls for restraint.

“Firm instructions have been given to the public prosecutors to prosecute without weakness or complacency” anyone who commits these offences, he said.

CPJ and other press freedom groups have raised concerns about journalists’ safety in the country since the 2023 military coup.

This April, Idrissa Maïga, editor of the privately owned L’Enquêteur newspaper, was arrested and remains behind bars on charges of undermining national defence. If convicted, he could face between five and 10 years in prison.

Several Nigerien journalists were imprisoned or fined over their reporting prior to decriminalisation in 2022.

CPJ’s calls to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to request comment went unanswered.

DevilsEqual:
Arise TV no fit survive here

Paraman:


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/agahrin-project/705734-niger-reinstates-prison-sentences-for-journalists-for-defamation-insult.html

SadiqBabaSani:
TINUBU Government is worse than Niger Military dictatorship all bring misery to the people.

Are Nigerians not miserable right now

aswani:

See the military that Obidients decided to put their support behind. See how rule of law ls being shamelessly trampled upon.

Obidients should use this as a lesson to be careful what they wish for.

Namaster:
This is the Military rule some idiots want in Nigeria.

No matter how BAD you think our useless Politicians are, our USELESS Military is a 100 times.worse.

This new law will JAIL people for using social media to SHARE videos of the soldiers torturing people because it can "disturb public order".

These people are just lucky that ECOWAS is filled with a bunch of corrupt and SPINELESS cowards. Otherwise, this Tchiani guy would have been sent on a journey pf no return.

Dpharisee:
Just publish the truth and nothing but the truth and you won't be against the law

Namaster:
This is the Military rule some idiots want in Nigeria.

No matter how BAD you think our useless Politicians are, our USELESS Military is a 100 times.worse.

This new law will JAIL people for using social media to SHARE videos of the soldiers torturing people because it can "disturb public order".

These people are just lucky that ECOWAS is filled with a bunch of corrupt and SPINELESS cowards. Otherwise, this Tchiani guy would have been sent on a journey pf no return.

Namaster:
This is the Military rule some idiots want in Nigeria.

No matter how BAD you think our useless Politicians are, our USELESS Military is a 100 times.worse.

This new law will JAIL people for using social media to SHARE videos of the soldiers torturing people because it can "disturb public order".

These people are just lucky that ECOWAS is filled with a bunch of corrupt and SPINELESS cowards. Otherwise, this Tchiani guy would have been sent on a journey of no return.

SadiqBabaSani:
TINUBU Government is worse than Niger Military dictatorship all bring misery to the people.

Are Nigerians not miserable right now

DesChyko:


The same military put in place, the surviving basic infrastructure that has kept this country from collapsing totally, from the uncountable and irrepressible corrupt antecedents of the so called civilian leaders.

That the Nigerien military is misbehaving doesn't even add a flower to the Nigerian civilian regime. Journalists are also being persecuted here as well, amidst state-backed widespread corruption.

Two sides of a coin.