SaharaReporters had reported how Sowore on Thursday morning arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja for the trial, a day after he turned to Nigeria from the United States.
The global human rights organisation, Amnesty International has called for the immediate dismissal of a cybercrime trial instituted against human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore by the Nigeria Police Force on behalf of Senator Ned Nwoko.
SaharaReporters had reported how Sowore on Thursday morning arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja for the trial, a day after he turned to Nigeria from the United States.
Sowore had spent about one and a half months with his family in the US but returned to Nigeria on a United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
The #RevolutionNow convener was welcomed by a throng of supporters, activists and party members at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
In a short statement released by Amnesty International on Thursday via X, the organisation described the cybercrime lawsuit against Sowore as ‘bogus’ and unlawful.
Human rights defender @YeleSowore is back in court again today facing bogus charges over allegations of cybercrime and unlawful assembly filed by the Nigeria police. pic.twitter.com/TVqeSBHHaG
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) May 2, 2024
The organisation said, “The unfair prosecution of Sowore is part of restriction of civic space and escalating crackdown on human rights in Nigeria.
“Authorities must allow Sowore and other activists and journalists to freely carry out their activities without any harassment and fear of reprisals.”
The court in February rejected the motion filed by Sowore and the online news platform SaharaReporters, seeking to quash the defamation and cyber-stalking suit.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, while ruling on the motion on notice filed by Barr. Tope Temokun on behalf of Sowore who is standing as the 1st defendant in the suit, held that he was convinced that the activist was still a Director and Chief Executive Officer of SaharaReporters, an online news platform and SaharaReporters Media Group Incorporated, which were joined in the suit as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.