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Amnesty declares Sowore, Jalingo prisoners of conscience

 

Amnesty International, Nigeria, said the continued detention of
Omoyele Sowore and Agba Jalingo is a matter of shame for Nigeria.
In a statement issued yesterday, Seun Bakare, the organisation’s
programmes manager, said Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow
movement, Olawale Bakare, an activist, and Jalingo are prisoners of
conscience for criticising the government.
While Sowore and Bakare are still in detention despite the court
ordering their release, Jalingo, a journalist, is facing trial for
criticising Cross River State Government.
The human rights organisation alleged that the government has
repeatedly targeted activists and journalists in order to stifle
dissenting voices.
It asked the federal government to drop charges against the trio and
release them.
“We consider Sowore, Jalingo and Bakare to be prisoners of conscience
detained solely for exercising their human rights,” the statement
read.
“The Nigerian authorities must drop all charges against them and
release them immediately and unconditionally.
“Sowore, Jalingo and Bakare’s continued detention is a matter of shame
for Nigeria. Their cases show just how far the authorities in Nigeria
can go to silence their critics.
“The government of President Muhammadu Buhari needs to stop filing
bogus and politically motivated charges against critics, and start
listening to what they have to say.
“The flawed charges and sham trials of Sowore, Jalingo and Bakare
expose the inadequacies and bizarre manipulation of the Nigerian
criminal justice system and an unacceptable contempt for the rule of
law and human rights.”

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