Abdoul Moumoune Ghousmane, former Nigerien Member of Parliament and supporter of former President Issoufou Mahamadou, was arrested on 16 February 2026 by judicial police in Niamey and taken into custody.
He was brought before a judge and granted provisional release on 23 February 2026. On 24 February, he was sentenced to a six-month suspended prison term and fined 50,000 CFA francs for “conspiracy to overthrow a constitutional regime,” in connection with a post published on Facebook.
The charge relates to a 14 February 2026 Facebook post in which Ghousmane called on the military authorities to establish a clear timetable for a return to democratic rule. In the post, he urged President Abdourahamane Tiani to initiate a process of “normalizing the situation” by publishing a transition calendar leading to the establishment of democratic institutions. The written statement echoed remarks made in a 2-minute, 57-second video he had released weeks earlier conveying a similar message.
The case arises within a broader political context in which Niger has been under military rule since the July 2023 coup. Calls for a defined transition timeline have featured prominently in public debates.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned over the continued use of criminal charges in response to peaceful political expression. MFWA calls on the Nigerien authorities to respect freedom of expression and to ensure that individuals are not sanctioned for expressing opinions on matters of public interest, including the country’s political transition.
