Amnesty Int’l demands release of journalist jailed over comments on police

Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of 23-year-old Nagarta Radio journalist Farida Isiak, who was sentenced to four years in prison with the option of a N1.75 million fine after a Facebook post criticizing police officers in Kaduna State.

The rights group 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," the organisation said.

According to Amnesty International, the ordeal started from a minor dispute over a N100 change between Isiak's mother and a neighbor during a charcoal transaction. Police initially arrested her mother, detained her father when he went to secure her release, and used them as leverage to force Isiak to the station.

Although Isiak deleted the critical Facebook post and apologized under pressure, officers kept her in custody and arraigned her before a Sharia Court in Kawo. The presiding judge handed down the sentence for defamation while "completely ignoring the initial police misconduct and the abusive actions that led to the incident."

Amnesty International condemned the action as "a flagrant abuse of power by the police and weaponization of the judicial system to silence free speech and intimidate journalists."

The organisation demanded that the Kaduna State Police Command and judicial authorities immediately release Isiak, drop all charges, cancel the fine, and launch an independent investigation into the officers involved.