Seventy nine notable civil society organisations (CSOs) across West Africa have called for the immediate and unconditional release of prominent Nigerien journalist and human rights defender, Moussa Tchangari.
This follows a United Nations Working Group finding that his detention is arbitrary and contrary to international human rights law.
The organisations, drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Senegal, Burkina Faso and other parts of the region, said the UN finding had reinforced concerns previously raised by civil society groups, human rights defenders and international partners over Tchangari’s arrest and prolonged detention.
Tchangari was arrested on December 3, 2024, shortly after returning from Abuja, Nigeria, where he had participated in discussions on democracy, civic engagement and African solidarity.
In a joint statement signed by the 79 organisations, the groups said the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had called on the Nigerien authorities to immediately release Tchangari, provide appropriate reparations, investigate the circumstances surrounding his detention and hold those responsible accountable.
They said the independent UN determination had strengthened what they described as a growing international consensus that Tchangari’s continued detention could not be justified under international law.
They described Tchangari as one of West Africa’s respected voices for democracy, human rights, social justice and accountable governance, noting that he had spent more than three decades promoting civic participation, public accountability and peaceful democratic engagement.
As Secretary-General of Alternative Espaces Citoyens, the groups said, Tchangari had consistently advocated democratic values and civic participation in Niger and across the wider West African region.
They said that his arrest and subsequent detention under terrorism-related charges without trial had sent a chilling signal to journalists, activists and civil society actors across the region.
The organisations expressed concern that repeated attempts by Tchangari’s legal team to secure his release had been unsuccessful, describing his prolonged detention as part of a broader pattern of shrinking civic space in Niger.
According to them, the increasing use of broadly framed national security and terrorism-related offences against journalists, activists and critics threatens not only individual rights but also democratic values and accountable governance.
“National security and the protection of fundamental freedoms are not mutually exclusive,” the organisations said, stressing that while states have a legitimate responsibility to safeguard public safety, such responsibility must be exercised within the framework of the rule of law and in accordance with regional and international human rights obligations.
They further expressed concern that Tchangari’s continued detention, despite the findings of an independent United Nations mechanism, raised serious questions about due process, judicial independence and respect for the rights to liberty, fair trial and freedom of expression.
The groups said those rights were guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international instruments to which Niger is a party.
They also demanded the Nigerien authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Tchangari and implement the recommendations of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
They equally demanded that his rights to due process and a fair trial, as well as adequate access to his family and legal representatives, be guaranteed pending his release.
The groups further called for an end to what they described as the use of terrorism-related charges and other criminal provisions to silence peaceful civic engagement and legitimate criticism.
They urged the African Union, United Nations, diplomatic missions and the broader international community to sustain pressure and engagement with the Nigerien authorities to ensure compliance with international human rights obligations and protection of civic space.
They warned that democracy could not flourish across West Africa where journalists, human rights defenders and civic actors were subjected to arbitrary detention for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms.
They said Tchangari’s continued detention was therefore not merely a Nigerien issue but a regional concern with implications for democratic governance, civic participation and human rights protection across West Africa.
“We stand in solidarity with Moussa Tchangari, his family, his colleagues, and all those who continue to defend human rights under increasingly difficult circumstances,” they said.
The statement was jointly signed by FixPolitics – Nigeria, 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth Initiative (CEYWI) – Nigeria, Accountability Lab – Nigeria, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) – Nigeria, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) – Nigeria, Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) – Nigeria, Amnesty International (AI) – Nigeria, Association of Journalists on Mining and Extractives (AJME) – Sierra Leone, Beakanyang Organization – The Gambia, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP) – Nigeria, CAFSO-WRAG for Development – Nigeria, Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) – Sierra Leone, Campaign for Just Mining (CJM) – Sierra Leone, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) – Nigeria, Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT) – Nigeria, and Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) – Nigeria.
Others are Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Security (Centre LSD) – Nigeria, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) – Nigeria, Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) – Nigeria, Civil Rights Council – Nigeria, Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD) – Nigeria, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) – Nigeria, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) – Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) – Nigeria, Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) – The Gambia, Emergency and Risk Alert Initiative (ERAI) – Nigeria, Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability (formerly Alliance for Credible Elections) – Nigeria, Ene Obi Centre for Development (ECN) – Nigeria, Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) – Nigeria, Feminism Lab – Nigeria, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) – Nigeria, and Gambia Against Looted Asset (GALA) – The Gambia
Also are Gambia Participate – The Gambia, Gender and Reproductive Health Youth Advocacy Network (GRAYBETWORK) – Ghana, Girl Child Concern (GCC) – Nigeria, Global Rights – Nigeria, Good Governance Team (GGT) – Nigeria, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) – Nigeria, Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) – Nigeria, Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) – Ghana, International Press Centre (IPC) – Nigeria, Livelihood and Environment (LEG) – Ghana, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) – Nigeria, Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre) – Nigeria, Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON) – Nigeria, National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NALD) – Nigeria, and Natural Resources Governance and Economic Justice (NaRGEJ) – Sierra Leone.
The CSO also included Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) – Sierra Leone, OilWatch Ghana – Ghana, OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative – Nigeria, Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) – Nigeria, Organisation pour le Renforcement des Capacités de Développement (ORCADE) – Burkina Faso, Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) – Nigeria, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) – Nigeria, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA) – Nigeria, Policy Alert – Nigeria, Public Interest Lawyers’ League (PILL) – Nigeria, Regional Centre for Governance and Security Policy Initiative (RCGSPI) – Sierra Leone, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) – Nigeria, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) – Nigeria, Say No Campaign – Nigeria, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) – Nigeria, and Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC) – Nigeria.
The rest are Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) – Nigeria, Spaces for Change (S4C) – Nigeria, State of the Union (SOTU) – Nigeria, Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ&GP) – Nigeria, Transparency International (TI) – Nigeria, Tunani Initiative – Nigeria, We the People (WTP) – Nigeria, West Africa Centre for Public Policy (WACPP) – Senegal, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) – Ghana, West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) – Ghana, Women in Mining and Extractives (WoME) – Sierra Leone, Women’s Association for Women and Victims’ Empowerment (WAVE) – The Gambia, Yes-Africa – Nigeria, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (Yiaga-Africa) – Nigeria, and Zero-Corruption Coalition (ZCC) – Nigeria.
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