Human Rights Watch has called on the current authorities in Niger to grant immediate freedom to former President Mohamed Bazoum. The former leader remains in a state of arbitrary confinement two years after a military putsch removed him from office.
The political crisis began on July 26, 2023, when members of the Niger military, forming the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) under General Abdourahamane Tiani, seized power. During this coup, Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza Bazoum, were taken into custody. To this day, the couple is being held within the presidential residence in Niamey, the nation’s capital, completely isolated from their lawyers and family members. Furthermore, Mohamed Bazoum is facing a potential trial after the military junta revoked his presidential immunity in 2024.
“By continuing to hold the former president and his spouse, the military junta in Niger demonstrates a blatant disregard for the rule of law,” stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The politically motivated charges and his ongoing imprisonment undermine any claims by the junta that they are moving toward a more democratic Niger.”
In August 2023, the military leadership declared its intent to prosecute Mohamed Bazoum for alleged “high treason” and threats to national security. However, he has yet to be brought before a magistrate for any preliminary proceedings.
Seeking justice, Mohamed Bazoum filed a petition with the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in September, citing human rights violations during his captivity. By December, the ECOWAS court ruled that his detention was indeed arbitrary and ordered his release. Despite this, Niger, alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, formally withdrew from the ECOWAS bloc in January 2025.
Legal maneuvers continued in April 2024, when authorities initiated a process 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 procedure that failed to meet international standards for fair trials. With his immunity gone, the junta confirmed its plan to try him for high treason, though no trial date has been established.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention also weighed in during February 2025. This independent body concluded that the imprisonment of Mohamed Bazoum and Hadiza Bazoum violates international human rights law and urged their immediate liberation.
“For two years, Mohamed Bazoum has been subjected to a cruel and unlawful confinement without formal charges or a trial, and without any contact with his children or legal team,” remarked Reed Brody, a member of the legal collective representing the former president. “He is essentially a hostage of a military regime, despite clear mandates for his release from international courts and UN bodies.”
According to Human Rights Watch, the mistreatment of Mohamed Bazoum is symptomatic of a broader trend under the military junta. The current administration has actively suppressed political rivals, peaceful protesters, and independent media. These actions suggest a strategy to maintain power indefinitely while stalling the return to civilian governance and the organization of transparent elections.
“Each day of Mohamed Bazoum‘s continued imprisonment takes Niger further away from a democratic path,” Ilaria Allegrozzi added. “The leaders in Niger must consider the global and regional message they are sending by maintaining this two-year detention.”