Access Now To Ecowas Court: Overturn Nigeria’s Twitter Ban

New York, NY—On July 8, Access Now formally joined the legal fight to ensure freedom of expression is restored in Nigeria. Together with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Open Net Association, the group filed a legal intervention to the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) in support of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and over 170 civil society actors and individuals who are challenging the constitutionality of Nigeria’s Twitter ban.

"Twitter is hugely popular in Nigeria, and for good reason. People use Twitter to exchange views, organize, and access essential information about COVID-19," said Natalia Krapiva, Tech Legal Counsel at Access Now. "The Court must not let the Nigerian government get away with banning Twitter under the guise of ‘political insurgency’ rationale. The decision to shut down a platform undermines international law."

In accordance with the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, the Nigerian government must show the shutdown was both necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate state interest. The government must also prove that the Twitter ban was the least intrusive instrument to obtain the legitimate state interest.

"In the past two years, courts across the world — from Indonesia to ECOWAS itself — have joined the chorus of voices decrying these internet shutdowns as blunt and blatant abuses of power," said Peter Micek, General Counsel at Access Now. "We trust the ECOWAS Court to uphold the right to free expression and boost the rule of law in Nigeria, and we will expect Nigeria to fully implement the court’s binding decision."

The hearing is expected on July 9, 2021.

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