Revenue Watch and Publish What You Pay Demand Release of Niger Human Rights Activist
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Marou Amadou Photo Courtesy ROTAB/PWYP Niger |
NEW YORK—The Revenue Watch Institute, together with the international Publish What You Pay coalition, calls on authorities in Niger to immediately release Marou Amadou, a leader in the struggle for extractive industries transparency and a member of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Niger.
On August 12, Amadou was discharged by a Nigerien court after appearing on charges of "regionalist propaganda" and "inciting disobedience." Immediately upon his release, he was seized by national security forces and placed in police custody. Despite reports of his deteriorating health, Amadou continues to be held in a high-security prison and denied access to medical attention.
"Niger's harassment of Marou Amadou and advocates like him highlights a disturbing pattern of official intimidation against campaigners for good governance," said Suneeta Kaimal, deputy director of the Revenue Watch Institute. "Like other countries with abundant mineral resources, Niger must uphold legitimate dialogue between government and civil society if it hopes to maintain political stability and reap the full benefits of its resource wealth."
Revenue Watch urges concerned governments, organizations and individuals to contact Nigerien authorities and call for Marou Amadou's release and an end to all forms of harassment against civil society groups.
For more information, please go to www.publishwhatyoupay.org.
CONTACTS:
Marie-Ange Kalenga, PWYP Africa Regional Coordinator
+ 237 9639 3651,
mkalenga@gmail.com
Jed Miller, Revenue Watch Institute
+1 917 257-0670, jmiller@revenuewatch.org
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