Niger: two years of unlawful confinement for former president Mohamed Bazoum

Authorities in Niger are being urged to grant immediate freedom to former president Mohamed Bazoum, who remains in unlawful custody two years after a military coup upended the nation’s leadership.

On July 26, 2023, members of the Niger military, forming the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) under General Abdourahamane Tiani, seized power. They ousted Mohamed Bazoum and detained him alongside his spouse, Hadiza Bazoum. The couple continues to be held within the presidential residence in Niamey, isolated from legal counsel and their relatives. Following the removal of his presidential immunity by the ruling junta in 2024, Mohamed Bazoum is now facing an impending legal battle.

“The military leadership in Niger demonstrates a blatant disregard for judicial principles every day that Mohamed Bazoum and his wife remain imprisoned,” noted Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior researcher specializing in the Sahel region. “This politically motivated incarceration and the subsequent legal threats undermine any claims by the junta regarding a transition to a democratic Niger.”

Back in August 2023, the military council declared its intent to try the former leader for “high treason” and for allegedly compromising the internal and external security of Niger. However, he has yet to be brought before a magistrate for any preliminary legal proceedings.

In September, Mohamed Bazoum sought intervention from the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing human rights violations during his captivity. By December, the ECOWAS court determined his detention was illegal and mandated his release. However, in January 2025, Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, formally ended their membership in ECOWAS.

By April 2024, legal steps were taken to strip Mohamed Bazoum of his immunity to facilitate prosecution for alleged crimes during his tenure. In June, the State Court of Niger ruled against him in a process that critics say failed to meet international benchmarks for fair trials. With his immunity gone, the junta confirmed plans to pursue treason charges, though a trial date remains unannounced.

In February 2025, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a panel of independent specialists, concluded that the imprisonment of Mohamed Bazoum and Hadiza Bazoum violated international law and called for their urgent release.

“For two years, Mohamed Bazoum has been subjected to a cruel and illegal confinement without formal charges, restricted from communicating with his children, his legal team, or his supporters,” stated Reed Brody, a member of the legal group representing the former president. “Despite explicit mandates from international courts and UN bodies, he remains essentially a hostage of the military regime.”

The treatment of the former president is indicative of a broader pattern of repression under the current military rule, which has targeted political opponents, peaceful protesters, and the press. Observers suggest the junta is focused on maintaining its grip on power while stalling the return to a civilian-led government and the organization of transparent elections.

“Every day of Mohamed Bazoum‘s continued detention pushes Niger further away from democratic restoration,” Ilaria Allegrozzi added. “The leadership in Niger must consider the international and regional message sent by this two-year-long imprisonment.”