On 13 October 2026, the Niamey High Court of First Instance (Tribunal de Grande Instance Hors Classe de Niamey) delivered its judgment in the case of Maître Lirwana Abdourahmane, a Nigerien lawyer, human rights defender, and member of the Patriotic Movement for Responsible Citizenship (MPCR), a civic movement that regularly takes positions on the management of public affairs in Niger. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to two years of unconditional imprisonment and a fine of 2 million CFA francs (FCFA).
He was previously prosecuted under Article 31 of the law on cybercrime following a publication on social media and put in pre-trial detention since 22 September 2026. During a hearing on 6 October 2026, the Public Prosecutor had requested a five-year prison sentence without suspension and a fine of 5 million CFA francs.
The court’s decision may be appealed through the legal remedies available under the laws in force in Niger.
Separately, following the deliberation hearing, his legal counsel stated that they had challenged the legality of the proceedings on the grounds that the court had disregarded their request for the case to be transferred to another court. They stated that they had brought this challenge before the Niamey Court of Appeal and are awaiting the deadline of October 28 to learn the appellate court’s position.