Niger's government says a new law, which allows authorities to listen in on phone conversations, will help it fight terrorism. The opposition says it will be used to target political opponents.
The law was passed Friday despite a boycott by opposition lawmakers who say the government will leverage it to repress dissent and harass opponents ahead of a Dec. 27 presidential vote.
“To fight terrorists, the defense and security forces must be provided with substantial means of warfare, not spying on its citizens,” Soumana Hassane, an opposition lawmaker, said in a statement.
Niger, which is on the front line of international efforts to defeat Islamist insurgencies, has cracked down on dissent in recent months. Authorities have arrested dozens of activists, drawing condemnation from groups such as Amnesty International. Hama Amadou, the main opposition leader, was imprisoned for four months on baby-trafficking charges, before being freed on March 30.
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