For the immediate release of Moussa Tiangari, Secretary General of Alternative Espaces Citoyens Niger.

We have learned with shock and dismay about the "raid carried out on December 3, 2024, around 8:00 p.m. by armed individuals in civilian clothing at the home of Moussa Tiangari, Secretary General of the association Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC). He was taken away before the helpless eyes of his family to an unknown destination." During the arrest, the assailants reportedly also seized his personal belongings, including his computer, suitcase, and mobile phone.

It took 48 hours of anxious searching before his family and colleagues were informed of his detention at the Central Service for Combating Terrorism and Organized Transnational Crime (SCLCT/CTO) in Niamey.

According to his lawyer, he is facing serious charges, including "advocacy of terrorism, undermining state security, and criminal conspiracy in connection with terrorism."

We wish to remind the Nigerien authorities and the international community that Moussa Tiangari has been a staunch human rights defender for several decades, tirelessly advocating for democracy and the socio-economic development of populations, particularly the most disadvantaged.

For this reason, the Loujna-Tounkaranké collective and the Euro-African Migreurop network, composed of associations from West Africa, the Maghreb, and Europe, express outrage and strongly condemn this latest arrest and the inhumane methods that stand in stark opposition to basic human rights principles as enshrined in international legal instruments ratified by Niger.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Moussa Tiangari and his return to his loved ones. We also extend our solidarity to Alternative Espaces Citoyens, his colleagues, and his family.

Members of the Loujna-Tounkaranké Collective and Migreurop
http://loujna-tounkaranke.org/
https://migreurop.org/