Amnesty International Criticizes Trial as a Mockery of Justice

Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the mass trials of the #EndBadGovernance protesters, calling it a travesty of justice and the rule of law.

The organization highlighted that over 1,000 protesters remain in custody nationwide and demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) echoed this sentiment, urging the government to release the detained protesters without conditions.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, expressed deep concern that the upcoming trials would serve only to further the government’s agenda of punishing and demonizing peaceful protesters.

“We condemn the sham trials even before they began and call for an end to these endless bizarre attempts to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest. What is going to happen to these protesters, who took to the streets last month seeking good governance, is a disguised exercise solely aimed at punishing dissenters,” Sanusi said.

He called on the Nigerian authorities to release all those arrested for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and criticized the government for prioritizing the punishment of protesters over investigating the deaths and other violations that occurred during the protests.

“The Nigerian government has been wrongfully placing priority on punishing detained protesters, without saying even a word on the urgent need to investigate the killing of dozens of protesters across Kano, Katsina, Suleja/Tafa, Jigawa and Maiduguri. Many protesters were subjected to many other violations by security personnel, including excessive use of force,” Sanusi said.