Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an immediate end to the ongoing trial of human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore, describing the prosecution as a “sham trial” and urging the Department of State Services (DSS) to withdraw all charges against him.
In a statement, the organisation said rather than seek to suspend or adjourn Sowore’s trial, the DSS should take what it described as the appropriate step by dropping the charges and bringing the proceedings to an end.
Amnesty International maintained that Sowore should not have been charged in the first place, and urged Nigerian authorities to allow him and other human rights activists and journalists to carry out their legitimate activities without harassment, intimidation or fear of reprisals.
The organisation said the prosecution of Sowore formed part of what it described as a broader restriction of civic space and an escalating crackdown on human rights in Nigeria.
“Instead of the Department of State Services (DSS) bizarrely seeking to suspend the sham trial of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, they should do the right thing, which is, dropping all the bogus charges and ending the entire sham trial,” Amnesty International Nigeria said.
The rights organisation called on the Nigerian authorities to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of everyone in the country, particularly the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and media freedom.
It stressed that activists and journalists must be able to exercise their fundamental freedoms without intimidation or reprisals, warning that restrictions on civic activities undermine democratic accountability and human rights protection.
Amnesty International reiterated its position that the authorities should end what it described as the unfair prosecution of Sowore and ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and other civic freedoms are fully protected in Nigeria.
