3-Years After Coup: Lawyers Demand Ousted Prez Released
The Legal Counsel of
Niger’s deposed President Mohamed Bazoum have renewed calls for his immediate and unconditional release, accusing the country’s military rulers of unlawfully detaining him and his wife without charge or due process three years after the coup that removed him from power. Bazoum, 66, who was democratically elected in 2021, has been confined alongside his wife, Hadiza Bazoum, in a section of the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, since soldiers led by General Abdourahamane Tiani seized power in July 2023.
Speaking on behalf of an international team of legal representatives, West African lawyers and U.S. human rights, Attorney Reed Brody described the couple’s continued detention as arbitrary and in violation of fundamental legal protections.”They have never been brought before a magistrate and have not been informed of the existence of any proceedings against them,” Brody said, stressing that the authorities have failed to initiate any formal judicial process despite holding the former president for three years.
Following the military takeover, Niger’s junta announced plans to prosecute Bazoum, accusing him of treason and “plotting against the security and authority of the state.” However, despite those allegations, no public trial has been launched and no formal case has been presented before a court. The legal team also raised concerns about the couple’s conditions of detention, saying they have remained largely isolated from the outside world. According to the lawyers, neither Bazoum nor his wife has been allowed family visits during the three years they have been held, further intensifying concerns over their treatment.
The prolonged detention has drawn sustained criticism from the international community. The European Union, United Nations human rights experts and several world leaders have repeatedly urged Niger’s military authorities to free the former president and respect his legal rights.
Although Bazoum’s presidential term officially ended in April this year, he has consistently refused to resign, maintaining that he remains Niger’s legitimate democratically elected leader. Since taking power, Niger’s military government has tightened its grip on the country, carrying out a broader crackdown on dissent that has seen journalists, political opponents, activists and civil society leaders detained amid growing concerns over shrinking civic freedoms.
The renewed appeal by Bazoum’s lawyers adds to mounting international pressure on Niger’s military leadership as questions persist over the legality of the former president’s continued detention and the country’s commitment to the rule of law.
Source: Rédaction AfricaNews
Author: Joyce Owusu
