International human rights group, Clooney Foundation for Justice, has condemned the continued detention of pro-democracy campaigner and Publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of State Services – Nigeria’s secret police.
In a statement on Friday, the group said that its TrialWatch initiative has been monitoring the trial of Sowore in Nigeria and was deeply concerned about his situation.
Co-President of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, Amal Clooney, called on the Nigerian Government to immediately release Sowore, who on Thursday was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.
Clooney said, “It is outrageous that Nigeria continues to imprison a journalist and presidential candidate after a court had ordered his release.
“TrialWatch will continue to monitor Sowore’s trial and calls on the authorities to implement the court’s order as soon as possible.”
The international rights group said it will monitor Sowore’s upcoming hearing set for December 5, 2019.
politicians, was arrested in Lagos on August 3, 2019 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The government is accusing him of insulting Buhari and planning to bring down his regime – charges observers around the world have described as baseless.
Despite two separate orders by the Federal High Court in Abuja directing his release after meeting stringent bail conditions, the DSS has refused to release Sowore, casting a huge shadow over the human rights record of Buhari’s regime.
