A Niger Republic court on Friday sent Moussa Tchangari, a leading civil society figure and critic of the military-led authorities, to jail one month after he was arrested following a trip abroad.
It was gathered that Tchangari, a fierce critic of the junta who has voiced total support for ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, was whisked away by unidentified gunmen at his home in the capital, Niamey, on December 3.
The activist had described the July 2023 military coup and power grab by the chief of Niger’s powerful presidential guard, General Abdourahamane Tiani, as a setback.
Bazoum, who had been democratically elected, has since been imprisoned with his wife Hadiza at the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey.
His non-governmental organisation, Alternative Citizen Spaces, AEC, said he was incarcerated at Filingue prison by the senior investigating judge of a Niamey court.
Filingue prison, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of Niamey, is notorious for holding political dissidents who have opposed Niger’s previous governments.
According to the Air Info newspaper, Tchangari was returning from a trip outside the country when he was arrested at home by four men dressed in civilian clothes.
AEC said that the 55-year-old is accused of glorifying terrorism, undermining national security, and being involved in a criminal conspiracy in connection with terrorism.
It was gathered that Tchangari was previously arrested in May 2015 and later freed after his organisation made critical remarks about the humanitarian situation in southeastern Niger, where the army is fighting a jihadist insurgency.
