(Nairobi) – Human Rights Watch today urged Nigerien authorities to immediately release former President Mohamed Bazoum, who has now been held arbitrarily for two years since a military coup. His continued detention marks a significant disregard for the rule of law in Niger.
On July 26, 2023, military officers from the self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), led by Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, overthrew Mohamed Bazoum’s government. Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza Bazoum, were arrested and have since been confined at the presidential palace in Niamey, the nation’s capital. They have been denied access to family members and legal counsel. Furthermore, Mohamed Bazoum faces an impending trial following the junta’s decision to lift his presidential immunity in 2024.
« Niger’s military junta demonstrates its contempt for the rule of law with each passing day that former President Mohamed Bazoum and his wife remain detained, » stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. « His detention and the politically motivated legal proceedings against him undermine any claims by the junta to be building a more democratic Niger. »
In August 2023, the junta announced its intention to prosecute Mohamed Bazoum for « high treason » and « undermining the internal and external security of Niger. » However, he has yet to be presented before a judge for any preliminary hearings.
Mohamed Bazoum filed a petition with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in September, citing human rights violations against him and his family during their confinement. In December, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled his detention arbitrary and demanded his immediate release. Nevertheless, Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, officially withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025.
In April 2024, authorities initiated legal proceedings against Mohamed Bazoum to strip him of his presidential immunity, enabling his prosecution for alleged crimes committed during his presidency. In June, Niger’s State Court ruled against him after a process that failed to meet international standards for due process and fair trial. With his immunity now revoked, the junta confirmed its intention to pursue charges of high treason, though a trial date remains unset.
In February 2025, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent expert body investigating cases of deprivation of liberty, deemed the detention of Mohamed Bazoum and his wife arbitrary, constituting a violation of international human rights law, and called for their immediate release.
« Mohamed Bazoum has been cruelly and unlawfully imprisoned for two years, without charges or trial, unable to speak to his children, his supporters, or even his lawyers, » commented Reed Brody, a member of the legal collective representing Mohamed Bazoum. « Despite clear rulings from international courts and UN bodies demanding his freedom, Mohamed Bazoum remains a hostage of a military junta. »
The mistreatment of Mohamed Bazoum reflects a broader pattern of repression by the military junta, which has targeted political opposition, peaceful dissent, and the media. This behavior suggests an intent to consolidate its power, including by delaying the transition to civilian rule and postponing credible, free, and fair elections, Human Rights Watch noted.
« Every day Mohamed Bazoum spends in detention pushes Niger further away from the path to democracy, » Ilaria Allegrozzi concluded. « Nigerien authorities should seriously consider the message that two years of Mohamed Bazoum’s detention sends to the region and the world. »
