Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned the alleged harassment and the threat of legal action against Amnesty International Nigeria.

The learned silk in a statement on Wednesday condemned what he called the intimidation and harassment against Amnesty International simply for doing their legitimate work.

According to him, the police must immediately end the intimidation and harassment.

The Nigeria Police Force had through its letter of January 6, 2025, ‘demanded an immediate retraction and public apology regarding a publication titled Nigeria: Bloody August: Nigerian government’s violent crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protests.”

According to the police, ‘The publication in question, which includes numerous unsubstantiated claims, falsely accuses the Nigeria Police of human rights violations, police brutality, and excessive violence during the August 2024 End Bad Governance protests. The NPF categorically rejects these baseless allegations, affirming that the claims are entirely false and without foundation.'”

The police demanded “that Amnesty International issues a formal retraction and public apology within seven days. Failure to comply will prompt the NPF to consider legal actions to protect its reputation.'”

Responding, Falana in a statement said the threat of legal action against Amnesty International simply for publishing its factual report about the allegations of police brutality during the #EndBadGovernance protests amount to act of reprisal, harassment and intimidation.

According to him, the reprisal, harassment and intimidation of Amnesty International will foster a climate of fear and prevent other civil society organisations, activists, human rights defenders, other Nigerians and media outlets from exercising their rights freely and safely.

He said: “I am deeply concerned about the intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International and the decreasing respect for human rights and erosion of the rule of law in Nigeria. Thus it must stop.

“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and many human rights treaties which Nigeria has ratified establish a catalogue of fundamental rights and freedoms that are inherent to all human beings, such as the right to life, humane treatment, personal freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and of association, access to justice and judicial guarantees.

“Respect for and protection of those rights make it possible to defend and promote human rights and, ultimately, to exercise the right to defend them. Indeed, the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups, and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms explicitly recognises the defence of human rights as a right in itself (article 1).

“The Nigeria police should not make it difficult for activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society organisations to carry out their legitimate work and exercise their human rights. Their work is essential to ensure accountability for victims of human rights violations and promote rule of law and democracy in the country.

“The United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials provides that law enforcement officials may use force ‘only when strictly necessary and to the extent required for the performance of their duty.'”