Niger has released Seyni Amadou, the editor-in-chief of Canal 3 TV, after his arrest for airing a programme critical of the ruling junta, the broadcaster confirmed on Monday.
Amadou was detained on Saturday, marking another crackdown on the press since the military seized power in a 2023 coup. His arrest followed a government-ordered suspension of Canal 3 for a month and the withdrawal of Amadou’s press card for three months, after the channel rated the performance of government members.
“Seyni Amadou has just been freed,” said Canal 3 TV’s director-general, Ismael Abdoulaye, who also announced that the suspensions had been lifted by Niger’s communications minister, Sidi Raliou Mohamed.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which had earlier denounced the suspensions as “illegal,” welcomed the developments. Niger ranks 80th out of 180 countries on the 2024 Press Freedom Index published by RSF.
Since overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023, the junta has suppressed dissent, curtailed press freedom, and stifled civil society. Journalists, including Serge Mathurin Adou and Samira Sabou, have faced arrests, convictions, and accusations of destabilising the region or disturbing public order.
The junta has also blocked international broadcasters like RFI, France 24, and the BBC, further tightening control over the media landscape.