RSF warned of the dangers journalists would face after Niger amended its cybercrime law in June 2024. A little over a year later, nearly ten journalists have suffered the consequences. On the evening of 3 November, the copy editor of the Saraounia Radio Television (RTS), Ibro Chaibou; the editor of the online media Les Échos du Niger, Youssouf Sériba; and the founder of Le Hérisson, Oumarou Kané, were all placed under arrest  at Kollo prison — 50 kilometers south of the capital, Niamey. They have been charged with “complicity in disseminating a document prone to disturbing public order,” an offence set out in Article 30 of the cybercrime law which is punishable by 2 to 5 years in prison. This offence was reinstated by the 2024 ruling, which also reintroduced prison sentences for “defamation” and “insults” when these offences are committed online.

According to RSF information , these arrests are linked to a social media post that shared an invitation to a press conference organised by the Solidarity Fund for the Safeguarding of the Homeland, an organisation created by the military regime to mobilise resources in support of the nation. Once the invitation had been made public, several activists criticised the initiative. In response, authorities began seeking to identify who shared the invitation to the press conference — even though the document was not confidential. The vague wording of the charge “complicity in disseminating a document prone to disturbing public order” has enabled the cybercrime law to be weaponised against journalists.

“How can publishing an invitation for the press to cover a public event — the kind of document received on a daily basis  by newsrooms around the world — possibly disturb public order? These arrests and detentions are likely part of a broader hunt for sources that is not being acknowledged by the authorities in Niger. For months, military authorities have intensified their repression of journalists, aided by a legal framework that enables such abuse. RSF calls on them to immediately free the three detained journalists and drop these baseless charges that should never have been made.

Journalists targeted by the cybercrime law

On 3 November, three other journalists were also arrested: the director of Saraounia Radio Television (RTS), Moussa Kaka; RTS copy editor Abdoul Aziz; and Souleymane Brah of the online media outlet La Voix du peuple, who were held in police custody before being released provisionally. They are still being pursued for the same charges. On 30 October, Moussa Kaka had already been briefly detained.

In recent months, another journalist has been targeted under the revised cybercrime law. On 7 September, the editor of the weekly Le Courrier, Ali Soumana, was placed under a detention warrant at Say prison for “defamation” and “complicity in dissemination via the press and online.” Days earlier, he had reported on alleged corruption within the customs administration.