Niger’s highest court has lifted the immunity of the country’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, nearly a year after he was overthrown by mutinous soldiers, his lawyer said on Friday. This move paves the way for the ruling military junta to prosecute him for alleged high treason.
Since the coup that ousted him last summer, Bazoum and his family have been under house arrest. The junta authorities have stated their intent to prosecute him for “high treason” and for jeopardizing national security. Earlier this year, they initiated legal proceedings to lift his immunity in a newly established State Court, which has now become Niger’s highest judicial body.
Prior to his removal, Niger had been a key security ally of Western nations in the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara Desert plagued by violent extremism. However, the junta has since expelled Western troops and sought security assistance from Russia. The U.S. military is expected to withdraw by mid-September, as confirmed by the Pentagon earlier this month.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the legal proceedings in the State Court have been marked by numerous irregularities, including violations of Bazoum’s rights to present evidence, communicate with his legal team, and have his case heard by an independent court.
Bazoum’s lawyer, Reed Brody, condemned the court’s decision, calling it a “mockery” of the rule of law in Niger. “We never even had the opportunity to speak to our client,” Brody said. “This is a blatant miscarriage of justice.”
HRW also noted that Bazoum’s legal team has been unable to communicate with him since October and has had limited access to the case materials. Late last year, the highest court of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS ruled that Bazoum and his family were being arbitrarily detained and called for his reinstatement as president.
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