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The Nigerian government charged 10 individuals with treason for “demanding good governance” during an August protest, according to court documents obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to their charges before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Abuja Federal High Court, emphasizing the constitutionally protected right to peaceful assembly, a right also upheld in various human rights instruments according to Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi. Nigerian human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, condemned the arrests, characterizing them as a “gross abuse of prosecutorial power by the Nigerian Police Force.” If convicted of treason the defendants could face the death penalty per Section 37 of Nigeria’s criminal code.
Human rights advocates, organizations, and civil society have criticized the arbitrary arrests of the protestors, after demonstrations erupted across the country in early August as a response to changes in economic conditions, such as unemployment and increased cost of living. Participants in the protests called for government action using the hashtag “EndBadGovernanceInNigeria” on X to mobilize further and draw awareness to the movement.
Intended to last several days, the protests dwindled following strict intervention by the Nigerian security forces. In response to the protests, President Bola Tinubu released a statement on August 4, reinforcing his commitment “to ensuring public order and protecting the lives and property of every Nigerian”. He further called on the protesters to ” suspen[d] further protests, and embrace dialogue”, highlighting government efforts to relieve the cost of living within the country, including “major infrastructure projects” and “reduced debt service.”
The defendants are expected to appear before the court later this month to set a trial date.
The post Nigeria government charges 10 individuals with treason following protests in August appeared first on JURIST - News.
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The defendants pleaded not guilty to their charges before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Abuja Federal High Court, emphasizing the constitutionally protected right to peaceful assembly, a right also upheld in various human rights instruments according to Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi. Nigerian human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, condemned the arrests, characterizing them as a “gross abuse of prosecutorial power by the Nigerian Police Force.” If convicted of treason the defendants could face the death penalty per Section 37 of Nigeria’s criminal code.
Human rights advocates, organizations, and civil society have criticized the arbitrary arrests of the protestors, after demonstrations erupted across the country in early August as a response to changes in economic conditions, such as unemployment and increased cost of living. Participants in the protests called for government action using the hashtag “EndBadGovernanceInNigeria” on X to mobilize further and draw awareness to the movement.
Intended to last several days, the protests dwindled following strict intervention by the Nigerian security forces. In response to the protests, President Bola Tinubu released a statement on August 4, reinforcing his commitment “to ensuring public order and protecting the lives and property of every Nigerian”. He further called on the protesters to ” suspen[d] further protests, and embrace dialogue”, highlighting government efforts to relieve the cost of living within the country, including “major infrastructure projects” and “reduced debt service.”
The defendants are expected to appear before the court later this month to set a trial date.
The post Nigeria government charges 10 individuals with treason following protests in August appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.