Lawyers demand release of Niger’s ousted President Bazoum

Harry Archie July 25, 2026

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Lawyers representing Niger’s ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, have called for his immediate and unconditional release, three years after he was removed from office in a military coup.

Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza, have been held at the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, since the military, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, seized power on July 26, 2023.

In a statement released on Friday, a group of West African lawyers and US human rights lawyer Reed Brody said the couple were being held illegally.

The lawyers said Bazoum and his wife have never been taken to court or formally informed of any criminal charges against them.

They also said the couple have had very little contact with the outside world and have not been allowed family visits during the past three years.

The European Union, United Nations experts and several international leaders have also called for Bazoum’s release.

A few months after the coup, the military government announced plans to put Bazoum on trial, accusing him of treason and plotting against the country’s security and government.

However, no court case has been publicly opened against him.

Bazoum, who was elected president in 2021, has never resigned from office, although his official term ended in April 2026.

Since taking power, the military government has arrested several journalists, activists and civil society members as part of a wider crackdown on critics.