International Federation
for Human Rights

Since then, he has been arbitrarily detained and questioned by the anti-terrorism unit, without being able to contact his friends or family, although the reasons for his arrest and detention are still vague up to now.

He was arrested a few days after AEC published a citizen’s monitoring report on the humanitarian situation and the situation of human rights in the Diffa region. That region has been declared an emergency zone since February 2015 because of the Boko Haram attacks and the intervention of the Niger army. Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC) criticised the conditions of the displacement of the people residing on the Lake Chad islands.

AEC has been working on human rights for many years, despite continued pressure from the Niger government. Niger’s fight against terrorism must not be at the expense of the citizens in the region concerned or human rights defenders, such as associations like AEC.

Our organisations are therefore giving their support to Moussa Tchangari, his family and friends and to Alternative Espaces Citoyens. We thereby urge Niger authorities to release Moussa Tchangari immediately and to strictly respect the fundamental freedoms, including within the framework of the legitimate fight against terrorism, especially as regards human rights defenders and journalists in the exercise of their activities.