The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has urged the immediate release of Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza, as of Monday, February 10.
Bazoum was ousted in a coup in July 2023, and since that time, he and his wife have been isolated from all external communication.
They have been held for a year and a half in a section of the presidential residence in Niamey, with only his doctor permitted to visit.
The UN Working Group has deemed their detention “arbitrary” and a breach of international law, calling for their “immediate release” and the right to pursue compensation.
This statement from UN experts is not unprecedented; UN Secretary-General António Guterres had previously called for Bazoum’s release and advocated for his “reinstatement as head of state” following his “arbitrary detention” on July 26, 2023.
In response, Bazoum’s legal team issued a statement highlighting that both he and his wife have been “entirely cut off from the outside world” since October 2023, lacking contact with family, friends, or legal representation. “Only a doctor is allowed to visit them to deliver food and medicine,” they noted.
Niger’s military government has dismissed the claims made by UN experts, alleging that Bazoum has been in communication with “other forces hostile to Niger to coordinate an attack.” They interpret this as “plots and attacks against state security” and “collusion with foreign entities.”
In June, Niger annulled Bazoum’s presidential immunity, paving the way for a trial, although no date has been established. “Today, we have no doubt: President Bazoum is a hostage of a junta using him as a human shield,” stated his attorney, Moussa Coulibaly.
