Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement on Friday condemning the treason charges leveled against protestors in Nigeria last month. Treason can be punishable by death in the West African country.
The organization found that 124 people were arrested in Nigeria during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign in August, and 10 of those individuals were charged with treason.
HRW Nigeria researcher Anietie Ewang said: “By charging protesters with treason, the Nigerian authorities are sending a troubling message about their intolerance for dissent.” Ewang added, “In their relentless effort to suppress dissent, the Nigerian authorities are not only violating more rights and the rule of law, but also deepening public distrust in the government.”
The 10 individuals charged with treason were made to appear at the Abuja Federal High Court on September 2. The charge was presented on the basis of the accused allegedly “attempting to destabilise Nigeria, seeking to remove the president, waging war against the government, and inciting mutiny.” As per Section 37 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, the crime of treason can be punishable by death. The bail hearing is currently set for September 11.
The #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria campaign, which saw widespread protests across the nation, arose out of collective frustration at the acute economic hardship in Nigeria and called on the government to take immediate steps towards improving the situation. The protests, which began on August 1 and were planned to last for 10 days, took a violent turn and resulted in an estimated 21 deaths. They came to an end as a result of the strong police crackdown.
As per Article 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, “[e]very person shall be entitled to assemble freely.” The recent chain of events wherein the state has imposed a crackdown on protests and dissenters has garnered much criticism from international rights organizations.
A new movement has been gaining traction on online platform X (formerly Twitter), by the name of #FearlessInOctober. Though the state was able to shut down the “ten days of rage” in August, the new movement signals a possible revival of protest and dissent against the Nigerian government.
