Amnesty International Nigeria, the local chapter of the worldwide grassroots human rights movement has called for the immediate release of activist, Omoyele Sowore from detention.
The Department of Security Services (DSS) has also charged Sowore with cyberbullying, according to The Guardian. Sowore was remanded in DSS custody on June 16 for non-appearance in court, and the current detention is pending a hearing of a stay application scheduled for June 24.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, today, ordered the remand of the internet publisher and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, in the Kuje Correctional Centre.
In a quick verdict, Justice Mohammed Umar ordered that Sowore be held in the correctional institution pending hearing and resolution of his application for stay of the order for revocation of his bail and bench warrant.
Justice Umar also denied Sowore’s prior plea seeking the recusal of the judge from the case on the ground of alleged bias.
Amnesty said in a statement on its official X account that his incarceration at the Kuje Correctional Centre was arbitrary because it was based exclusively on social media posts in which he called President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.”
Amnesty International today called on Nigerian authorities to promptly and unconditionally free Sahara Reporters publisher and campaigner Omoyele Sowore from arbitrary arrest, stating he is being held exclusively for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.
The statement underscored worries about the weaponization of criminal law against critics in Nigeria, noting protections under the 1999 Constitution, the ICCPR and the African Charter, amid a backdrop of a pattern of measures against journalists and activists.
It added: “Amnesty International is deeply concerned about arbitrary detention of Sowore and the wider pattern of crackdown on civic space, and intimidation and harassment of activists, human rights defenders and journalists simply for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”
Amnesty said Sowore’s continued detention risks undermining the rights to freedom of expression, association and civic participation and will have a chilling effect on civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders working to promote transparency and accountability in the country.
“Sowore’s detention is connected with the peaceful expression of his views and criticism of public officials which are clearly protected under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party,” Amnesty said.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately release Sowore and drop the trumped-up charges against him. They must fully observe international standards on fair trial and safeguards of due process.”
Amnesty says freedom of expression is a core feature of any rule of law-based society and that public figures, journalists, human rights defenders, activists and political commentators must be able to express opinions, criticise government policies and participate in public debate without fear of arrest, detention or other forms of retaliation. Politics
It observed that using the criminal justice system as a tool to penalise or prohibit legitimate expression has a chilling effect that stretches far beyond the individual concerned.
Such acts, Amnesty argued, deter others from speaking out, degrade civic space, undermine public faith in the rule of law.
The human rights group urged the Nigerian authorities to respect the right to freedom of expression, including criticism of public officials and government policies, and not to use criminal law, judicial processes or restrictive measures to intimidate, harass or silence critics, journalists, activists and human rights defenders.
“Authorities must demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and human rights by ensuring that no one is deprived of their liberty or subjected to abuse of the judicial system for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression peacefully,” Amnesty added.
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