Niger Junta Intensifies Crackdown Three Years After Coup

(Nairobi) – Niger’s military junta has deepened its authoritarian rule, dismantling democratic institutions and ramping up repression since seizing power three years ago, Human Rights Watch said today. On July 26, 2023, General Abdourahamane Tiani and other army officers overthrew the elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum. Since then, the junta has taken unchecked powers, weakening bodies that could hold it accountable. In the past year, the military has dissolved all political parties, suspended dozens of civil society groups, and detained journalists under a broad cybercrime law. It has also stripped political opponents of their nationality, criminalized consensual same-sex relations, and withdrawn Niger from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The junta has extended the country’s political transition without any plan for elections. “Three years after the coup, Niger’s junta has broadened its assault on human rights,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Military leaders have expanded their own authority while closing civic space and blocking justice for victims.” The junta continues to arbitrarily detain former President Bazoum, his wife, former Interior Minister Hama Amadou Souley, and human rights defender Moussa Tiangari. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled in 2025 and 2026 that these detentions violate international law and called for their release. In March, the junta adopted a new criminal procedure code that set pretrial detention in terrorism cases at 12 months, renewable once. Tiangari, detained since December 2024 on terrorism charges, filed for release on June 19. The law requires a court ruling within three days, but no decision came. A week later, authorities amended the law, extending maximum pretrial detention to four years, renewable once. “The coincidence is too serious to be ignored,” said Hamid Amadou N’gadé, former adviser to President Bazoum. “A justice system worthy of the name doesn’t change the rules to keep a citizen in prison.” Tiangari’s lawyers argue the new rule cannot apply retroactively. The junta has also targeted journalists. In October 2025, police arrested six journalists for sharing an invitation to a media briefing about a solidarity fund for security forces. They were charged with “complicity in distributing documents likely to disturb public order” under the cybercrime law. Three were released on bail, while three remained in custody. Two were freed on July 15, but one remains detained. The authorities have also suppressed criticism abroad. Since late 2024, they have stripped at least 18 exiled opposition figures of their Nigerien citizenship. In June 2026, they revoked the citizenship of Mariama Djibrine, a diaspora opposition leader. That month, the foreign affairs minister ordered embassies to monitor online criticism of the junta. In March, Niger adopted a new penal code that punishes consensual same-sex relations with 5 to 10 years in prison. Same-sex marriage carries 10 to 20 years. The same penalties apply to those who support or organize LGBT events. In June, security forces detained at least 16 people under the new law. Community health workers told Human Rights Watch they have suspended outreach to men who have sex with men due to fear of harassment. The security situation has worsened. Islamist armed groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have carried out deadly attacks in the western Tillabéri region. Niger’s security forces have responded with abusive operations. In January, a military drone strike killed at least 17 civilians at a crowded market, violating laws against indiscriminate attacks. Niger’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States in 2025 and the ICC in June reflects a broader effort to limit accountability. Some governments, including the United States, Russia, Türkiye, and Italy, have prioritized security cooperation without conditioning aid on human rights benchmarks. The UN has not consistently denounced the junta’s abuses. As the UN reviews its approach to the Sahel, member states should ensure accountability and human rights are central to any future engagement with Niger, Human Rights Watch said. “Niger’s international partners need to reengage to address the junta’s escalating repression in the pursuit of security,” Allegrozzi said. “They should press authorities to respect fundamental rights, release those arbitrarily detained, stop targeting opponents, and set out a credible path to civilian rule.”