According to information collected at the level of the prosecution, the Public Prosecutor has already taken up the case of the publication on social networks, of insulting remarks against an ethnic group. The technical services were asked to identify the author of the famous post but research has not yet enabled him to locate him in Niger. Most of the authors of these comments are abroad and sometimes use false profiles, which further complicates the research. However, assured the prosecutor, the investigations will continue and any contribution of the population to get hold of the author of the publication is requested.
You will remember that a few days ago, a publication on social networks raised a lively controversy since the author targeted an ethnic group in the country through insulting and contemptuous remarks. Some were quickly offended by the fact that no follow-up was given to the case even though these were acts punishable by the texts in force, in particular the new law against cybercrime.
Contacted by actuniger, the public prosecutor at the Niamey High Instance Court of First Instance, assured us that his services have already seized the case and currently investigations are underway to identify and update the provision of justice, the author of the publication. According to Mr. Sayabou Maman Issa, the technical services of the judicial police and information have been requested but the searches undertaken so far have not made it possible to locate him in Niger. The investigations are continuing according to the explanations given to us by the prosecutor, who also took the opportunity to solicit any useful contribution from the population in this direction.
Proliferation of ethnic and racist remarks
For some time now, we have been witnessing a proliferation on social networks of ethnic and racist remarks which are nevertheless repressed by the texts in force. In accordance with the provisions of the law on the fight against cybercrime, the services of the Public Prosecutor are actively at work to identify and make available to justice the authors of this ethnic and racist propaganda which severely harsh test social peace and national cohesion. At this level, the Prosecutor assured that his services are doing everything to track down those responsible for this unscrupulous behavior that sows discord by abusing social networks. To remove any doubt, Mr. Sayabou Maman Issa assured that there is no ” Two weights, two measures “. “All the perpetrators of these acts will be sought and made available to justice”, he insisted.
It must be recognized that in this area, the task is not at all easy for the Judicial Police as well as the other services which are called upon for the needs of the investigation. In many cases, in fact, the authors of these comments do not reside in Niger or go through false profiles, which complicates their identification or location. Especially since even for certain cases where the authors of such remarks are identified, the fact that Niger does not have an extradition treaty with all the countries of the world, does not also make it easier for justice to do its job. . This largely explains the slowness observed in certain cases on which the prosecutor’s office is well advanced in the prosecution.
In recent times, this hateful and bordering on extremist propaganda has taken on worrying proportions in Niger, in particular because of the exacerbation of political tensions. On several occasions, the prosecutor’s office has warned the perpetrators of these acts, that they are liable to sanctions as provided for by the Penal Code and the new law against cybercrime. According to Article 32 of the Cybercrime Law, “Is punishable by imprisonment from one (1) to five (5) years and from one million (1,000,000) to five million (5,000,000) CFA francs fine, whoever creates, disseminates or makes available, in any form whatsoever, writings, messages, photos, sounds, videos, drawings or any other representation of ideas or theories, of a racist, regionalist, ethnic, religious or xenophobic nature, through of an information system ”. Likewise, article 31 of the same law stipulates that “The dissemination through an electronic means of communication of data likely to disturb public order is punishable by imprisonment”. So many safeguards adopted by the legislator to regulate bad behavior and the abusive use of social networks as well as electronic means of communication and on which, the prosecutor’s office has assured to rely, without bias, in order to guarantee order and social tranquility so dear to our country.
A.K.M (actuniger.com)
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