Mohamed Bazoum Remains Detained in Niger Three Years After Coup

Three Years of Detention at the Presidency

Mohamed Bazoum, who served as Niger’s 10th president from April 2, 2021, until his ouster on July 26, 2023, has spent three years in captivity within the presidential compound in Niamey. Following the coup led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, the former president and his wife have been held in an annex of the presidential palace, effectively isolated from the public and legal processes.

Unlike standard detainees, Bazoum faces restricted social contact and has been denied the opportunity to formally defend himself against accusations brought by the junta. According to reports, the military authorities have not initiated a judicial process consistent with the rule of law, leading observers to question the legitimacy of the ongoing confinement.

Human Rights Watch and International Condemnation

International organizations have continued to demand the restoration of Bazoum’s rights. On July 23, 2025, Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated that the military junta’s actions demonstrate a contempt for the rule of law by maintaining the detention of the former president and his wife. The European Parliament has also issued a resolution, adopted near-unanimously, calling for his immediate release.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reached similar conclusions in February 2025 and May 2026, formally declaring the detentions of Mohamed Bazoum and human rights defender Moussa Tiangari as arbitrary and in violation of international human rights standards. Despite these repeated calls, there is currently no indication that the military government intends to release the couple.

Legal Shifts and the Status of Political Prisoners

The junta has actively modified Niger’s legal framework, complicating the status of detainees. In March, the military authorities introduced a new code of criminal procedure that set pretrial detention for terrorism-related cases at 12 months, renewable once. However, by late June, the government extended this maximum period to four years.

The move appears to affect several high-profile detainees, including former Interior Minister Hama Amadou Souley and Moussa Tiangari, whose legal teams argue that such laws cannot be applied retroactively to justify continued imprisonment.

Humanitarian Impact of Regional Sanctions

The political stalemate has had profound consequences for Niger’s population, particularly children. Following the 2023 coup, the Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO) imposed sanctions that disrupted the flow of essential goods. UNICEF reported in August 2023 that critical vaccination equipment and therapeutic food supplies were stranded at the port of Cotonou and the Malanville border.

Stefano Savi, then the UNICEF representative in Niger, warned that these vital supplies for treating malnutrition and vaccination were at risk of losing their efficacy while exposed to the elements. The organization estimated that 1.5 million children under the age of five were suffering from malnutrition in 2023, with at least 430,000 requiring treatment for the most severe forms of the condition. As the transition remains extended without a clear electoral timeline, the humanitarian outlook remains precarious.

A Departure from Democratic Precedent

Mohamed Bazoum’s election in 2021 was viewed by many as a significant step for Niger. His predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou, had declined to modify the constitution to seek a third term, a decision celebrated at the time as a victory for democratic norms.

The subsequent military takeover has effectively halted this democratic progression. As the current junta continues to consolidate its power and withdraw from international bodies like the International Criminal Court, the prospect of returning to the political trajectory seen in 2021 appears increasingly distant.