Niger: 3 Nigerien Journalists Detained After Broadcast On Russia Military Cooperation

Dakar — The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Nigerien authorities to release journalists Hamid Mahmoud, Massaouda Jaharou, and Mahaman Sani. They work for Sahara FM radio station. The journalists were arrested again on May 10. This was their second arrest in four days. They were detained for reporting on Niger's military ties with Russia.

Moussa Ngom, CPJ's Francophone Africa representative, commented on the arrests. He said they show a pattern of censorship regarding security topics. He called for the immediate release of the journalists. He also urged authorities to allow them back to work.

On May 7, police in Agadez arrested the journalists initially. They questioned them about their reporting that day. Their report discussed a breakdown in cooperation between Niger and Russia. An anonymous source confirmed this information and mentioned Aïr Info Agadez's statement. The journalists were released without charges on May 9 but re-arrested the next day.

Their reporting was based on a May 5 article from LSi Africa, a France-based news outlet. The source noted that investigators asked who instructed them to share this information.

On May 14, gendarmerie officers transferred the three journalists to Niamey’s research brigade. This is Niger's capital city.

Concerns about press freedom have grown since a coup in 2023. In April 2024, Idrissa Soumana Maïga was detained for over two months. He reported allegations of Russian agents placing listening devices in public buildings. Military authorities have also suspended or banned several international media outlets due to coverage of ongoing jihadist violence.

CPJ reached out for comments from police in Agadez and the gendarmerie's public number but received no response.