UN calls for immediate release of former Niger leader Mohamed Bazoum

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for the immediate release of Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza, on Monday, February 10.

Bazoum was overthrown in a coup in July 2023. Since then, he and his wife have been cut off from all outside contact.

They have been detained for a year and a half in a wing of the presidential residence in Niamey. Only his doctor is allowed to visit him.

The UN Working Group considers their detention "arbitrary" and a violation of international law. It calls for their "immediate release" and the right to seek compensation.

The UN experts' statement is not new. UN Secretary-General António Guterres had previously demanded Bazoum’s release. He even called for his "reinstatement as head of state" after his "arbitrary detention" on July 26, 2023.

Bazoum’s lawyers quickly reacted in a statement stressing that their client and his wife have been "completely cut off from the outside world" since October 2023. They have had no contact with family, friends, or legal counsel. "Only a doctor is allowed to visit them to bring food and medicine," they said.

Niger's military regime rejected the UN experts' claims. It accused Bazoum of communicating by phone with "other forces hostile to Niger to orchestrate an attack." Authorities equate this to "plots and attacks against state security" and "collusion with foreign powers."

In June, Niger revoked Bazoum’s presidential immunity. This opened the way for a trial, but no date has been set. "Today, we have no doubt: President Bazoum is a hostage of a junta using him as a human shield," said his lawyer, Moussa Coulibaly.