Ilguilas Weila and five other people were arrested on 28 April 2005 accused of trying to falsely elicit money, two billion CFA francs, from foreign donors.
The charges came after a ceremony, in March, to release 7,000 slaves in the northern part of Tillabéri Region was cancelled at the last minute by the government who maintains slavery does not exist.
The matter is liable to embarrass the Nigerien president Tandja Mamadou who currently heads the Economic Community of West African States.
Much of Weila's work is devoted to informing people of their rights under the new law which are unknown in much of Niger owing to poverty, low literacy and the inaccessibility of many areas.
The organization has attempted to highlight Ilguilas Weila's work outside of Niger and he received their Anti-Slavery Award in November 2004.