Responding to the planned mass trial of hundreds of protesters arrested during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests between 1–10 August, Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said:
Amnesty International is deeply concerned that the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters arraigned nationwide today are only going to be subjected to another round of the government’s unrelenting efforts to punish protesters and demonize protests.
“Some of the charges to be filed against the protesters, ranging from treason, which carries the death penalty, to allegations of a ‘plan to destabilize Nigeria,’ show how far Nigerian authorities can go in manipulating the criminal justice system to silence critical voices. These are blatantly trumped-up charges that must be immediately withdrawn.”
“These attempts by President Bola Tinubu’s government to charge those who protested against widespread poverty and rampant corruption with treason is beyond absurd and baseless.
“We condemn these sham trials even before they begin and call for an end to these endless, bizarre attempts to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest. What is going to happen to these protesters — who took to the streets last month seeking good governance — is a disguised exercise solely aimed at punishing dissenters.”
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested from 1-10 August for exercising their right to peaceful assembly, instead of subjecting them to an unfair trial just to justify detaining them unlawfully.”
“The Nigerian government has been wrongfully placing priority on punishing protesters, without saying even a word about the urgent need to investigate the killing of dozens of protesters across Kano, Katsina, Suleja/Tafa, Jigawa, and Maiduguri. Many protesters were subjected to other horrific violations by security personnel, including excessive use of force and misuse of tear gas.”
Since the arrests of the protesters, Amnesty International has been receiving disturbing reports of violations of the rights of those detained, including denial of access to family, legal assistance, and medical care where needed.
“We urge the Nigerian authorities to end this mockery of the rule of law. The authorities have an obligation to uphold and protect fundamental human rights. Instead of investing in desperate attempts to punish dissent, the government should listen to critics and address rampant insecurity, corruption, and mismanagement. Rescuing millions of Nigerians from the brink of starvation should be the top priority of the government, not punishing protesters.”