Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian authorities of detaining over 1,000 peaceful protesters who participated in the recent #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria rallies.
Amnesty claims that the protesters were being held in various prisons across the country and that the authorities have escalated their crackdown on peaceful assembly.
According to the organisation, the protesters were arrested and arraigned in court on trumped-up charges, with 441 people arraigned in Kano State alone.
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The organization has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested for exercising their right to peaceful assembly.
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Recall that the protests, which took place from August 1-10, were initially peaceful but turned violent in some states, resulting in cases of looting and violence.
Subsequently, Nigerian authorities alleged that some of the protesters were linked to foreign entities and had called for a change of government.
However, Amnesty International maintained that the Nigerian authorities have violated the rights of peaceful protesters and have failed to uphold their obligation to protect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
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