Niger: two journalists released after eight months in detention
Breaking news. After eight months behind bars, Youssouf Seriba and Oumarou Kané, two prominent Nigerien journalists, walked free this Wednesday. They had been held since November 2025 on charges of complicity in disseminating a document deemed likely to disrupt public order. While their release marks a momentary easing of tensions, several other media professionals remain imprisoned across the country.
Freedom for two media figures
Youssouf Seriba, editor-in-chief of the online outlet Les Échos du Niger, and Oumarou Kané, director of Le Hérisson, regained their liberty after prolonged detention. Their release was confirmed by both family members and judicial sources. The pair were arrested in Kollo, near Niamey, last November and faced accusations of circulating a document tied to a press briefing organized by the Fonds de solidarité, a body established by the military authorities.
Press freedom under strain in Niger
The document in question had circulated on social media and was later used by supporters of former President Mohamed Bazoum to challenge the legitimacy of the current military regime, which seized power in 2023. Despite Seriba and Kané’s release, a third journalist implicated in the same case remains incarcerated. United Nations data indicates that thirteen journalists were arrested in Niger during 2025 alone, with press freedom watchdogs warning that detentions and restrictions on free speech persist under the military leadership led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
