It is now more than one month since Ilguilas Weila, Niger's leading anti-slavery activist, and his colleague Alassane Biga were arrested in an effort to silence their fight against slavery.

Ilguilas Weila, president of Timidria, Niger's pioneering anti-slavery organisation and 2004 Anti-Slavery Award winner, and Alassane Biga are charged with illegally soliciting funds from an international organisation based in London, which we understand to mean Anti-Slavery International and as such view this charge as unfounded and baseless.

Their continued detention is alarming and raises serious concerns over the state of human rights in Niger.

On 19 May, over 1,000 people protested against the arrests in Niger's capital Niamey and demanded an independent and impartial judiciary. The demonstration, the first of its kind, was fuelled by the arrests of the activists on 28 April. Since then, they have been denied bail twice.

Anti-Slavery International demands the immediate and unconditional release of Ilguilas Weila and Alassane Biga from prison, and the Government's assurance that Timidria is able to continue its work to end slavery in Niger.

At least 43,000 people are in slavery across Niger. They are born into an established slave class and are made to carry out all labour required by their masters without pay, including herding, cleaning; the masters do nothing. Slaves are inherited, given as gifts and babies may be taken away from their mothers once weaned. They are denied all rights and choice.