Seven opposition politicians in Niger, including a former minister, were released from prison on Sunday, 10 months after being jailed for “armed and unarmed assembly”, their party announced.
The seven, including former health minister Souman Sanda, are all associates of former speaker of parliament Hama Amadou, who took second place in a presidential election in March.
“Soumana Sanda and his six fellow detainees were released from prison this morning after serving 10 months in prison,” Seini Moukaila, of the Niger Democratic Movement, told journalists.
The were arrested on November 14 after violent clashes between security forces and party activists who had gathered at the airport to welcome Amadou’s return from exile in France.
Amadou was also arrested as he got of his plane that day.
Four days before the March 20 presidential runoff, he returned to France for medical treatment and has yet to return.
The lawyers of those detained said their prosecution was politically motivated.
