Niger; UPDATE - Sentencing of Marou Amadou to three months detention (suspended)

Human rights defender Mr Marou Amadou has been condemned by the Court of Appeal of Niamey to 3 months imprisonment, suspended sentence. The sentence has been appealed to the Supreme Court. Three charges against Marou Amadou, including participation to an un-registered association and crimes against the security of the State, remain pending. The trial, held on 11 January, was observed by representatives of the EU delegation, the French embassy and the Swiss Cooperation.

Marou Amadou had been arrested on 11 august 2009 and held in detention until 15 September, when he was released on bail.

Marou Amadou is President of the Front uni pour la sauvegarde des acquis démocratiques – FUSAD (United Front for the Safeguard of Democratic Gains), member of the national board of the Réseau des Organisations pour la Transparence et l’Analyse Budgétaire – ROTAB (Network of Organizations for Transparency and Budget Analysis), coordinator of the Comité de réflexion et d’orientation indépendant pour la sauvegarde des acquis démocratiques – CROISADE (Independent Advisory and Orientation Committee for the Defence of Democratic Gains) and he represents civil society within the Commission électorale nationale indépendante – CENI (National Independent Electoral Commission).

For more information, see Front Line initial appeal at http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/2128 and updates at http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/2169 and http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/2175.