Since the military coup in July 2023, Niger has experienced a sharp decline in human rights conditions. In 2025, the ruling junta intensified crackdowns on political opponents, dissidents, union members, and journalists. Among those held without legal justification are former President Mohamed Bazoum and his spouse, alongside ousted government officials, journalists, and human rights activists.
Niger faces persistent threats from multiple Islamist armed groups, including the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS), the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM or Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen, JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, as well as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). These groups operate primarily in the western regions of Tillabéri and along the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, escalating violence and endangering civilian populations.
In August 2025, the junta launched an initiative called « Garkuwar Kassa » (« Shields of the Homeland » in Hausa), recruiting and training civilians to support military operations. While framed as a community defense effort, this move has sparked concerns about the potential for unchecked militia violence and rights abuses.
In March 2025, junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani was sworn in as transitional president without holding elections, further consolidating power and delaying a return to democratic rule. Tiani also issued a decree abolishing multiparty politics nationwide, raising serious concerns about political freedoms.
In January 2025, Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), restricting access to regional justice mechanisms like the ECOWAS Court of Justice. By September 2025, these three countries announced plans to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), jeopardizing accountability for atrocities committed against civilians.
escalating violence by islamist armed groups
The Islamist insurgency that began in northern Mali in 2012 spread to neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso by 2015, leading to over a decade of widespread abuses in Niger. In 2025, the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) intensified attacks in Tillabéri, a region bordering Burkina Faso and Mali. Civilians have borne the brunt of these assaults, with reports of mass executions, arson, and looting.
On March 21, EIS fighters stormed a mosque in Fambita, Tillabéri, killing at least 46 worshippers—including three children—during afternoon prayers. Survivors reported that the attackers accused locals of collaborating with the Nigerien military or failing to comply with demands such as paying zakat (Islamic tax). The army’s delayed response left communities vulnerable.
Other attacks in 2025 included:
- May 13: Five men and two boys killed in Dani Fari; at least 12 homes burned.
- June 21: Over 70 worshippers killed in Manda, including five children; 10 homes destroyed.
- June 20: A village elder aged 67 executed in Abarkaize; five men abducted and later found murdered with their throats slit.
- June 23: Six civilians killed in Ezzak; widespread looting of homes.
Survivors consistently highlighted the army’s inadequate protection measures despite prior warnings of impending attacks.
suppression of opposition and dissent
Former President Mohamed Bazoum and his wife remain detained in Niamey’s presidential palace since the 2023 coup, denied contact with family or legal counsel. In 2024, the junta stripped Bazoum of presidential immunity, exposing him to prosecution through a flawed legal process. In February 2025, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared Bazoum’s imprisonment unlawful and demanded his immediate release.
The junta has arbitrarily arrested dozens of former officials, including ministers, presidential advisors, and Bazoum allies, denying them due process. While some detainees—mostly former officials and military officers—were released in April 2025, others remain imprisoned on politically motivated charges. Prominent human rights activist Moussa Tiangari, a vocal critic of the junta, was arrested in December 2024 and held incommunicado for two days before his detention was confirmed. In January 2025, he was charged with « conspiring with terrorist groups » and « plotting against the state in league with foreign powers, » facing potential death sentences if convicted. As of July 2025, Tiangari remains in pretrial detention without judicial review, with courts rejecting appeals to dismiss the politically driven case.
crackdowns on free speech and association
Since the coup, Niger’s media landscape has faced severe restrictions. Journalists have been threatened, harassed, and arbitrarily detained, prompting widespread self-censorship to avoid retaliation.
In January 2025, the Information Minister suspended private broadcaster Canal 3 TV for 30 days after its editor criticized government ministers—only to reverse the decision days later. In February, military authorities ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross to leave Niger without explanation, disrupting critical humanitarian aid.
On May 8, security forces arrested three journalists from Sahara FM in Agadez for reporting on alleged security cooperation breakdowns between Niger, Russia, and Turkey. Despite a judge ordering their release the next day, they were re-arrested and remain in custody.
In August, Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba dissolved four judicial unions, undermining workers’ rights to association and judicial independence. The minister alleged the unions acted outside their mandate, while labor groups condemned the move as a grave violation of fundamental rights. The Niger Bar Association condemned the dissolutions, organized a two-day strike, and demanded the unions’ immediate reinstatement.
