Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of 23-year-old journalist Farida Isiak, who was handed a four-year prison sentence or a fine of N1.75 million over a Facebook post criticizing the police in Kaduna State.
The human rights organization stated that her arrest and punishment “were clearly because of her attempt to expose abuses by the police.”
“Sentencing a journalist to 4 years in prison after a sham trial is a travesty of justice,” it said.
Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, was reportedly taken into custody at around 10pm on October 20 by officers under the command of Usman Adamu, the Divisional Police Officer of Mararaban Jos.
According to the global rights group, the case started out as a minor disagreement between her mother and a neighbor over a N100 change during a sale of charcoal.
Police first arrested her mother, then detained her father when he went to secure her release, “using their detention as leverage to force Farida to come to the police station.”
At the station, officers accused her of defaming them over a Facebook post in which she criticized their unlawful treatment of her parents.
Under pressure from the police, she deleted the post and apologized, hoping this would secure her parents’ release. Instead, the officers kept her in custody and took her to a Sharia court in Kawo.
The presiding judge sentenced her to four years in prison or a fine of N1.75 million for defamation, “completely ignoring the initial police misconduct and the abusive actions that led to the incident.”
Amnesty International said, “The arrest, detention, and hasty sentencing of Farida Isiak are a flagrant abuse of power by the police and weaponization of the judicial system to silence free speech and intimidate journalists.”
It added that “arresting and holding a citizen’s parents to force a journalist to hand herself over is an unlawful tactic that violates the rule of law. Demanding accountability for police actions is a constitutional right.”
It urged the Kaduna State Police Command and Nigerian judicial authorities to “immediately release Farida Isiak, drop all charges, and cancel the fine imposed on her.”
The organization also called on the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the actions of the officers responsible for the unlawful detention of her family.
“Nigerian authorities must stop using defamation charges and the legal system to harass journalists and restrict press freedom,” it said.
