Amnesty International has condemned what it described as the arrest, detention and hasty sentencing of 23-year-old journalist, Farida Isiak, saying the action by Kaduna authorities as vindictive and a travesty of justice.
In a statement on Wednesday, Amnesty said Farida’s arrest and punishment were clearly because of her attempt to expose abuses by the police.
Farida Isiak, a reporter with Nagarta Radio in Kaduna, was taken into custody around 10:00 p.m. on Monday, October 20, by officers under the command of the Divisional Police Officer of Mararaban Jos, Usman Adamu.
According to Amnesty, the incident began as a minor disagreement between her mother and a neighbour over a N100 change dispute during a sale of charcoal. Police officers initially arrested her mother and later detained her father when he went to secure her release, using their detention as leverage to force Farida to come to the police station.
When Farida arrived at the station, police accused her of defaming them because of a Facebook post she wrote criticizing their unlawful treatment of her parents.
Amnesty said even though she complied with police demands to delete the post and apologize in the hope of securing her parents’ release, officers kept her in custody and rushed her to a Sharia Court in Kawo.
The presiding judge sentenced her to four years in prison or a fine of N1.75 million on charges of defamation.
“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,” Amnesty said.
“Arresting and holding a citizen’s parents to force a journalist to hand herself over is an unlawful tactic that violates rule of law. Demanding accountability for police actions is a constitutional right.”
The rights group called on the Kaduna State Police Command and judicial authorities to immediately release Farida, drop all charges and cancel the fine imposed on her.
It also called on the Nigeria Police Force to launch a full and independent investigation into the conduct of officers involved in the unlawful detention of her family.
“Nigerian authorities must stop using defamation charges and the legal system to harass journalists and restrict press freedom,” Amnesty added.