Drop all charges against activists, journalists, others – SERAP to FG
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has asked the Nigerian Federal Government, as well as the state governments, to drop criminal charges against activists, journalists, rights defenders and others who are on trial “solely for peacefully exercising their human and democratic rights”.
SERAP equally asked the government to “immediately release anyone still being arbitrarily detained solely for peacefully exercising their human and democratic rights”.
The demand was among the recommendations in a report titled, ‘Broken Promises’: Systematic Crackdown on Civic Space, Democratic Rights And Media Freedom In Nigeria’, released by SERAP on July 3, 2024, in Abuja.
The report assessed citizens’ participation in the democratic process and the protection of dissent in Nigeria.
In other recommendations to the government, SERAP demanded an “end to the systematic crackdown on civic space, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, media freedom and the right to political participation and other democratic rights and the erosion of the rule of law” in Nigeria.
The civil society organization equally asked the government to “end the use of the unlawful Cybercrime Act to target and arbitrarily arrest and subject critics, journalists, activists and human rights defenders to unfair trials solely for peacefully exercising their human and democratic rights”.
The Nigerian government was also asked to “promptly reform the Electoral Act ahead of the next general elections so that it is entirely consistent with constitutional and international human rights standards in particular, to ensure the effective realization of Nigerians’ right to political participation and other democratic rights”.
SERAP, in the report, also asked the government to ensure the genuine independence, from political influence, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, and other regulatory bodies with mandates over the civic space, political participation, human and democratic rights as well as media freedom.
The Nigerian government was equally asked to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the right to vote, by ensuring that elections are conducted fairly, impartially and in accordance with established laws, constitutional provisions and international standards.
The CSO urged the government to allow national and international electoral observers, human rights monitors and journalists seeking to observe, monitor or report on elections to access all parts of the country.
It also told the government to “take all necessary steps to ensure that the Nigeria Police and other security agencies act in a neutral and non-partisan fashion in relation to electoral campaigns, elections and all political party activities”.
SERAP, in the same vein, advised the government to “ensure prompt, thorough, impartial, independent, effective and transparent investigations of human right violations in the country, and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice in fair trials, and that victims are provided with access to justice and remedies.
The Nigerian government was also asked to obey and implement court orders that promote the right of citizens to participate in governance, including the judgement of a Federal High Court ordering the government of Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari to account for the spending of $460 million Chinese loan to fund the failed Abuja Closed-Circuit Television, CCTV, project.
The government was equally asked to ensure access to public information, and timely responses from the ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs.
