Two journalists in Niger have been remanded in custody for allegedly plotting against state authority, according to their employer. The pair were among three reporters arrested in early May in the central city of Agadez.
All three worked for Sahara FM, a privately owned radio station, and were reportedly detained after airing reports suggesting that security agreements between Niger and Russia—an important ally of the military junta—had been terminated.
On Friday, the station’s owner, Air Info, told AFP that the two journalists had been sent to Kollo prison, located approximately 50 kilometres south of the capital, Niamey, following a ruling by a military court judge. The third journalist was granted provisional release.
The trio had faced charges of “undermining national defence and plotting against state authority,” the media company confirmed.
Since the military seized power in a 2023 coup, the Nigerien authorities have been widely criticised for restricting press freedoms and arresting journalists. Rights organisations and press freedom advocates have repeatedly condemned the ongoing crackdown.
Niger was ranked 83rd out of 180 countries in the 2025 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reflecting growing concerns about the shrinking space for independent journalism in the West African nation.
