Amnesty International has condemned the continued arbitrary detention and harassment of human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore, calling on Nigerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him and drop all politically motivated charges.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the global human rights body decried what it described as a sustained campaign of intimidation and abuse against Sowore, who has faced multiple detentions, sham trials, and other violations since 2019 for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
“The Nigerian authorities must stop abusing their power to silence critics,” Amnesty International said. “Sowore’s case exemplifies the lengths to which the government is willing to go to suppress dissenting voices.”
Amnesty recalled that it declared Sowore a Prisoner of Conscience in 2019 following his arrest and detention over peaceful protests. The organization reaffirmed its stance that Sowore’s activism does not constitute a crime and urged the government to respect the fundamental rights guaranteed under national and international law.
“The authorities must listen to dissenting voices, not criminalize them,” the statement added.
