Mohamed Bazoum, the Former Leader of Niger, Must be Released Immediately, According to the UN

On Monday, February 10, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention demanded that Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza, be released immediately.
In July of 2023, Bazoum was deposed in a coup. He and his spouse have been isolated from the outer world ever since.

They have been held in a wing of the presidential mansion in Niamey for the past year and a half. He can only be visited by his physician.
Their arrest is deemed “arbitrary” and a breach of international law by the UN Working Group. It demands their “immediate release” and the ability to sue for damages.

The statement made by the UN experts is not new. António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, has earlier called for Bazoum’s release. Additionally, he demanded his “reinstatement as head of state” following his “arbitrary detention” on July 26, 2023.

In a swift response, Bazoum’s attorneys emphasised that their client and his spouse have been “completely cut off from the outside world” from October 2023 for some time. They haven’t communicated with friends, relatives, or legal advisors. “Only a doctor is allowed to visit them to bring food and medicine,” they stated.

The military government of Niger denied the UN experts’ assertions. Bazoum was charged with conversing over the phone with “other forces hostile to Niger to orchestrate an attack.” Authorities compare this to “collusion with foreign entities” and “plots and attacks against state security.

Also Read:

Concerns About Shocking Instances of Sexual Violence in the DRC are Voiced by the UN

DRC: Residents of Goma Disagree About the M23 Ceasefire Declaration