Amnesty Int’l Launches Campaign To End Twitter Suspension

Global human rights group, Amnesty International, Wednesday
launched an online campaign geared towards pressurizing the Federal
Government of Nigeria to lift the suspension order it placed on
Twitter in the country.
The organization said the ban or suspension of Twitter was unlawful
and a further attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to crackdown on
freedom of expression.

According to the group, Nigerians who have grievances against
the government have already been driven off the streets following
the bloody crack down on thousands of unarmed youths during the
#EndSARS protests that took place last year.

Amnesty International Nigeria urged all well-meaning Nigerians
to send an email to President Muhammadu Buhari and Attorney General
of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami urging
them to end the violations of the right to freedom of expression,
access to information, and media freedom.

“It’s time to end the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria
and let President Buhari know that Nigerians’ voices matter. When
in the streets, peaceful protesters are met with violent reprisal
from the Nigerian authorities, and now their online voices are
being silenced as well.

“Legislative bills popularly known as the ‘Hate Speech Bill’ and
‘The Social Media Bill’ both of which provide severe punitive
sanctions such as the death penalty in some cases for social media
users convicted of ‘crimes’ provided under them are also signs of
the regression in the rights to freedom of expression, access to
information and freedom of the press,” the group said in a
statement posted on its website.

The Nigerian authorities, had on Friday, June 4, 2021, announced
a ban on Twitter in Nigeria and directed Internet Service Providers
in Nigeria to block access to Twitter. Media houses also had to
deactivate their Twitter accounts. These actions, according to
Amnesty International, are clear violations of the right to freedom
of expression, access to information, and freedom of the press.

Global human rights group, Amnesty International, Wednesday
launched an online campaign geared towards pressurizing the Federal
Government of Nigeria to lift the suspension order it placed on
Twitter in the country.
The organization said the ban or suspension of Twitter was unlawful
and a further attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to crackdown on
freedom of expression.

According to the group, Nigerians who have grievances against
the government have already been driven off the streets following
the bloody crack down on thousands of unarmed youths during the
#EndSARS protests that took place last year.

Amnesty International Nigeria urged all well-meaning Nigerians
to send an email to President Muhammadu Buhari and Attorney General
of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami urging
them to end the violations of the right to freedom of expression,
access to information, and media freedom.

“It’s time to end the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria
and let President Buhari know that Nigerians’ voices matter. When
in the streets, peaceful protesters are met with violent reprisal
from the Nigerian authorities, and now their online voices are
being silenced as well.

“Legislative bills popularly known as the ‘Hate Speech Bill’ and
‘The Social Media Bill’ both of which provide severe punitive
sanctions such as the death penalty in some cases for social media
users convicted of ‘crimes’ provided under them are also signs of
the regression in the rights to freedom of expression, access to
information and freedom of the press,” the group said in a
statement posted on its website.

The Nigerian authorities, had on Friday, June 4, 2021, announced
a ban on Twitter in Nigeria and directed Internet Service Providers
in Nigeria to block access to Twitter. Media houses also had to
deactivate their Twitter accounts. These actions, according to
Amnesty International, are clear violations of the right to freedom
of expression, access to information, and freedom of the press.