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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Niger’s military authorities to immediately release former President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held in detention since he was ousted in a coup on July 26, 2023.
Bazoum, who was democratically elected in 2021, has been confined with his wife, Hadiza, in a section of the presidential palace and, according to his legal team, has not been allowed to leave the premises since his detention began. Despite the military takeover, he has not formally resigned from office.
“Former President Mohamed Bazoum remains arbitrarily detained two years after the coup, and Niger’s authorities should release him without delay,” HRW stated on Wednesday.
HRW’s senior Sahel researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, criticised the junta’s actions, stating, “Niger’s military junta demonstrates its contempt for the rule of law every day it detains former President Bazoum and his wife.”
Several months after the coup, the junta announced its intention to prosecute Bazoum, accusing him of treason and of plotting against state security. His legal representatives warn that the treason charge could potentially carry the death penalty.
In June last year, Niger’s regime-backed state court lifted Bazoum’s presidential immunity, theoretically clearing the way for a trial. However, no formal legal proceedings have yet been launched.
Bazoum’s defence team has taken the matter to international judicial forums, including the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—which Niger has since exited—and the United Nations. Both institutions deemed his detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
Human Rights Watch said Bazoum’s situation symbolises the broader crackdown by the junta on political opposition, freedom of expression, and independent media.
The organisation also accused the military leaders of deliberately stalling the transition to civilian governance and postponing democratic elections.
