allAfrica: UN Calls Niger Junta to Free Ex-President, End Arbitrary Arrests

Former Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum and his wife have been detained by Niger's military junta since July 2023, when it seized power.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent expert body that investigates cases of deprivation of liberty, found that the detention of Bazoum and his wife was arbitrary and in violation of international human rights law, and called for their immediate release. At least 30 officials from the ousted government have been arbitrarily detained, denying them due process and fair trials.

Despite these rulings, the junta has pursued legal actions to strip Bazoum of his presidential immunity, enabling plans to prosecute him for high treason following a flawed judicial process. The miscarriage of justice against Bazoum falls in line with a military junta that has cracked down on the political opposition and the media, has expanded repressive measures to crush dissent, and has restricted oversight of the human rights situation across Niger.

The expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross has raised concerns about the lack of oversight in detention facilities.