Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the Federal High Court, Abuja for the revocation of activist Omoyele Sowore’s bail for alleged absence in a cyberbullying case tied to his social media labeling of President Bola Tinubu as a criminal.

In a statement on Friday, Amnesty argued that the decision violates Sowore’s constitutional and international rights to freedom of expression, liberty, and fair trial, as criticism of officials is protected speech under Nigerian law and treaties like the ICCPR.

“The reported revocation of Sahara Reporters publisher and activist Omoyele Sowore’s bail represents a deeply troubling development that risks undermining the rights to liberty, fair trial and freedom of expression in Nigeria,” Amnesty said.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered his arrest over his alleged absence from proceedings in which he faces cyberbullying charges for calling President Tinubu “a criminal” in social media posts last year.

The judge also reportedly issued a bench warrant for Sowore’s arrest, following an oral application by the prosecution.

“The revocation of Sowore’s bail is linked to the peaceful expression of his views, and criticism of public officials, which are clearly protected under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party,” Amnesty added.

“The revocation of Sowore’s bail violates his rights to freedom of expression, liberty and a fair trial, as such, any restrictions on these rights must be lawful, necessary and proportionate. They must never be used as a means of silencing criticism or suppressing peaceful dissent.

According to Amnesty, freedom of expression is a cornerstone of any rule of law based society, adding that public figures, journalists, human rights defenders, activists and political commentators must be able to express opinions, criticize government policies and participate in public debate without fear of arrest, detention or other forms of retaliation.

It said the use of criminal proceedings, restrictive bail conditions, or misuse of the criminal justice system to punish or deter legitimate expression creates a chilling effect that extends far beyond the individual concerned.

Such actions, Amnesty lamented, discourage others from speaking out, weaken civic space and undermine public confidence in the rule of law.

Amnesty has therefore called for the immediate reversal, dropping of charges, and an end to using judicial processes to silence journalists, activists, and critics to protect civic space and rule of law.

“The authorities must immediately drop all bogus charges against Sowore solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights. They must fully comply with international fair trial standards and respect due process guarantees,” Amnesty said.

It said Nigerian authorities must uphold and respect the right to freedom of expression, including criticism of public officials and government policies, and refrain from using criminal law, judicial processes or restrictive measures to intimidate, harass or silence critics, journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

Amnesty added that authorities must demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and human rights by ensuring that no one is deprived of their liberty or subjected to abuse of the judicial system simply for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression. (The Guardian News)

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