Niger’s former President Mohamed Bazoum has lost his immunity following a ruling by the State Court of Niamey, indicating that the ruling junta intends to pursue criminal charges against him, as per his legal representatives.
Bazoum, who was ousted in a military coup last July and has been detained with his wife since then, faces accusations of treason and plotting against state security.
Moussa Coulibaly, one of Bazoum’s lawyers, revealed the court’s decision and highlighted concerns about the legal proceedings, stating, “The court proceedings violated the absolute rights of the defence: we were not authorised to meet our client and the court refused to hear our arguments.”
Attempts to contact Niger authorities for their response were unsuccessful.
The junta previously announced plans to charge Bazoum with high treason due to his communications with foreign leaders and international bodies.
This development is part of a broader trend of military takeovers in West and Central Africa since 2020.
Despite calls from regional and Western powers for Bazoum’s release, including a ruling from the ECOWAS Court of Justice declaring his detention arbitrary, the military authorities remain firm.
Bazoum’s legal team noted that neither he nor his wife had faced a magistrate, and their communications have been severely restricted since October.
In a separate development, Bazoum’s 23-year-old son, Mohamed Bazoum Salem, was provisionally released from house arrest by Niger’s military tribunal in January.
Source-Reuters
