Over two-and-a-half years after Niger’s military coup, the country’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, and his wife remain detained without legal basis.
On March 11, the European Parliament unanimously adopted an urgent resolution condemning their arbitrary detention, as well as that of “other individuals detained in the coup,” and calling for their immediate release.
Niger’s Foreign Affairs Ministry reacted sharply, summoning the European Union’s representative in the capital, Niamey, and accusing the EU of interfering in Niger’s internal affairs.
International bodies have previously denounced Bazoum’s detention as illegal and called for his release. In February 2025, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent expert body that investigates cases of deprivation of liberty, found that detaining Bazoum and his wife was arbitrary in violation of international human rights law and called for their immediate release. In December 2023, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ruled that Bazoum and members of his family were being held unlawfully and ordered their release.
Instead, Niger’s junta moved to prosecute Bazoum. In April 2024, military authorities initiated proceedings to strip him of his presidential immunity so he could face charges related to alleged crimes during his time in office. In June 2024, a court lifted his immunity during proceedings that fell short of basic due process rights. The authorities have since said they intend to prosecute him for high treason.
Bazoum’s case reflects a broader crackdown on the political opposition, media, and activist groups engaging in peaceful dissent. The military authorities have tightened their control over political life by restricting opposition activity, delaying a return to civilian democratic rule, and targeting critics in the media and civil society.
At least 30 officials from the former government have been detained without due process. A prominent human rights activist and critic of the junta, Moussa Tiangari, arbitrarily arrested in December 2024, remains in detention on fabricated terrorism-related charges. Six journalists, arrested in October 2025, also remain detained under a draconian cybercrime law.
Rather than dismissing international criticism, Niger’s military authorities should heed the growing calls from regional and global bodies and immediately release Bazoum, his wife, and others detained on politically motivated grounds.
