Niger reinstates jail sentences for journalists for defamation, insult

Nigerien authorities should decriminalise defamation and be certain that the nation’s cybercrime regulation doesn’t unduly prohibit the work of the media, the Committee to Shield Journalists stated on Thursday.

On June 7, Niger’s head of state Abdourahamane Tchiani, who overthrew the democratically elected president in July 2023, reintroduced jail sentences of 1 to 3 years and a effective of as much as 5 million CFA francs ($8,177) for defamation and insult through digital technique of communication, in response to information experiences.

A jail time period of two to 5 years and a effective of as much as 5 million CFA francs ($8,177) have been additionally set for the dissemination of “information more likely to disturb public order or undermine human dignity,” even when such info is true, in response to CPJ’s overview of a copy of the regulation.

“The modifications to Niger’s cybercrime regulation are a blow to the media group and a really disappointing step backwards for freedom of expression,” stated CPJ Africa Program Coordinator, Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. “It’s not too late to vary course by reforming the regulation to make sure that it can’t be used to stifle journalism.”

Beforehand, the crimes of defamation and insult have been punishable with fines of as much as 10 million CFA francs (US$16,312), whereas dissemination of knowledge more likely to disturb public order carried a penalty of six months to 3 years imprisonment.

The federal government abolished prison penalties for defamation and insult in 2022 to carry the 2019 cybercrime regulation into line with the 2010 press freedom regulation.

On 12 June, Niger’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights Alio Daouda stated in a assertion that the 2022 amendments have been made “regardless of the opposition of the big majority of Nigeriens.” He stated that decriminalisation of the offences had led to a “proliferation of defamatory and insulting remarks on social networks and the dissemination of knowledge more likely to disturb public order or undermine human dignity” regardless of authorities’ requires restraint.

“Agency directions have been given to the general public prosecutors to prosecute with out weak spot or complacency” anybody who commits these offences, he stated.

CPJ and different press freedom teams have raised issues about journalists’ security within the nation because the 2023 army coup.

This April, Idrissa Maïga, editor of the privately owned L’Enquêteur newspaper, was arrested and stays behind bars on expenses of undermining nationwide defence. If convicted, he may face between 5 and 10 years in jail.

A number of Nigerien journalists have been imprisoned or fined over their reporting previous to decriminalisation in 2022.

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