Niger journalist held after channel suspended, association says

NIAMEY, NIGER — 

A large writer successful Niger was successful custody Saturday, an relation said, a time aft the backstage TV transmission helium runs was suspended pursuing a study captious of the military-led regime.

Seyni Amadou, exertion successful main of Canal 4 TV, has been arrested, said CAP-Medias-Niger, which represents media workers successful the country.

On Friday, Niger's communications ministry announced the transmission had been taken disconnected the aerial for a month.

State tv transmission Tele Sahel said Canal 3 TV had been punished "for violating the rules of morals and deontology."

Canal 3 told AFP successful a connection that the suspension was "linked to a broadcast connected the ranking of ministers" successful the authorities of Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a civilian appointed by the subject regime.

In the report's ranking, Zeine was placed archetypal and respective of his ministers were called the "soft underbelly" of the government.

CAP said successful a connection Friday it regretted Amadou's apprehension and detention and called for the rights of journalists to beryllium respected.

"Never successful the past of media regularisation successful Niger has the determination to suspend a media been taken by the executive, including successful alleged exceptional periods," it added.

CAP called connected Communications Minister Sidi Raliou Mohamed to reconsider his decision.

Niger lies 80th retired of 180 countries connected the 2024 Press Freedom Index published by Paris-based media rights campaigners Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Already successful November, different writer astatine Canal 3, Serge Mathurin Adou, was detained and aboriginal convicted connected allegations helium attempted to destabilize chap junta-led Sahel federation Burkina Faso.

General Abdourahamane Tiani, the main of Niger's almighty statesmanlike guard, successful 2023 ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, a cardinal state of the West successful warring jihadis successful sub-Saharan Africa.

Since the coup, Niger's subject rulers person turned their backmost connected erstwhile assemblage powerfulness France and forged ties with chap juntas successful Burkina Faso and Mali, arsenic good arsenic with Russia.

It has besides blocked planetary channels including Radio France International (RFI), France 24 and the BBC.