Amnesty International Nigeria has strongly criticized the commencement of mass trials for #EndBadGovernance protesters in several Nigerian cities, including Abuja, Kano, and Kaduna.
The trials, set to begin today, have sparked widespread concern among human rights advocates.
The protesters, who were arrested during the hunger and hardship demonstrations in August 2024, are now facing serious charges.
Amnesty International expressed its disapproval in a statement released on its X platform on Monday.
The organization denounced the trials as a “sham” even before they began, accusing the Nigerian authorities of using the criminal justice system to silence dissenting voices.
“Amnesty International condemns the sham trial of the protesters even before it began, and calls for an end to these endless bizarre attempts to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest,” the statement read.
The organization described the trials as an unfair and disguised effort to punish those who dare to speak out against the government.
The charges against the protesters are severe, including treason, which carries the death penalty, and allegations of plans to destabilize Nigeria.
Amnesty International argued that these charges reflect the lengths to which the Nigerian government is willing to go to suppress critical voices.
The organization also criticized the government for prioritizing the punishment of protesters over addressing the underlying issues.
“The Nigerian government has been wrongfully placing priority on punishing protesters, without saying even a word on the urgent need to impartially investigate the killing of dozens of protesters across Kano, Katsina, Suleja/Tafa, Jigawa, and Maiduguri,” Amnesty International stated.
Amnesty International further condemned the actions of President Bola Tinubu’s government, describing the charges of treason against those protesting widespread poverty and corruption as absurd and baseless.
