Amnesty International (AI), an international human rights organization, has accused the government led by President Bola Tinubu of attempting to suppress citizens’ rights to engage in peaceful protest.
The organization criticized the administration for stifling citizens’ constitutional rights by punishing protesters and called for an immediate end to such actions.
Amnesty International highlighted that the Tinubu-led government plans to prosecute arrested #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protesters in courts across Nigeria, pressing treason charges against them.
In a statement released on Monday, Amnesty International expressed regret that the federal government appears more focused on punishing peaceful protesters than on addressing the legitimate demands of its citizens.
“Amnesty International condemns the sham trial of the protesters even before it began, and calls for an end to these endless bizarre attempts to deprive people of the right to peaceful protest,” the organization stated. “The unfair trial is only a disguised exercise solely aimed at punishing dissenters.”
The human rights group also criticized the Nigerian government for prioritizing the punishment of protesters while remaining silent on the need to impartially investigate the killing of dozens of protesters across Kano, Katsina, Suleja/Tafa, Jigawa, and Maiduguri.
Amnesty International further described the treason charges against peaceful protesters as “absurd and baseless.”
“These attempts by President Bola Tinubu’s government to charge those who protested widespread poverty and rampant corruption with treason are beyond absurd and baseless,” the statement added.
