Niger authorities have arrested three journalists working at a private radio station, the latest reporters detained since a junta seized power in a 2023 coup.

The three journalists all worked for the Sahara FM private radio and were detained in Agadez this week, after reporting that security contracts between the West African country and its Russian ally had allegedly ended, Ibrahim Manzo Diallo, head of the Air Info media group that owns the radio station, told AFP.

Niger has been plagued by violence from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State and has been under the control of a military junta since a coup d’etat in July 2023.

Civil society and human rights groups say rights abuses and breaches of civil liberties in the West African country have increased ever since the junta came to power.

Amnesty International warned in March of a rise in arbitrary detentions and said the activities of political parties and journalists were severely curtailed, with prison sentences for defamation reinstated.

Diallo told AFP that a police unit turned up at about 1:00am (0000 GMT) on Saturday night and took the three journalists, two men and one woman.

He added that Sahara FM had aired on Wednesday news of a “breach of intelligence contracts between Niger and Russia” and that police had made the arrests “that same day”.

The journalists are Hamid Mahmoud, acting editor-in-chief; Mahaman Sani, who had presented the news report; and Massaouda Jaharou, who was arrested on Thursday, Diallo said.

After appearing in court, a judge released them, but the police arrested them again on Saturday, he added.

Other journalists have been detained and incarcerated in Niger after broadcasting content related to the ruling military.

Niger ranks 83rd out of 180 countries in the 2025 press freedom index of the NGO Reporters Without Borders, down three places compared to 2024.