Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Niger authorities on Wednesday to immediately release former president Mohamed Bazoum, who remains in detention since being ousted two years ago in a military coup.

The organization argued that the continued detention represents a violation of fundamental human rights and democratic principles and emphasized the broader concerns about democratic governance and political rights in the region. Illaria Allegrozzi, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated:

Niger’s military junta demonstrates its contempt for the rule of law every day it detains former President Bazoum and his wife. His politically motivated detention and prosecution discredit any junta claims to a more democratic Niger.

HRW pointed out that the junta’s repression extends beyond Bazoum’s detention and recounted widespread crackdowns on political opposition, peaceful dissent, and independent media.

Bazoum is charged with high treason and plotting with the purpose of threatening state security or the authority of the state. Justice Minister Aliyou Daouada has justified the ongoing detention on national security and sovereignty grounds. “The question of his release is an internal matter in Niger and only concerns Niger,” Daouada said in April.

Niger’s constitution remains suspended ever since the military coup, and the nation is currently led by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland. The country ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 1986, which binds member states to prohibit arbitrary arrest or detention and provide for fair trial rights under Articles 6 and 7. Niger also acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the same year, Article 9 of which protects against arbitrary detention and guarantees a swift legal process.

HRW’s call comes after the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ruled that Bazoum’s detention amounts to arbitrary detention, ordering his release in December 2023. Niger left the ECOWAS in November 2025.

In June 2024, the State Court lifted Bazoum’s immunity through a process in which he was denied access to his lawyers. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for the immediate release of Mohamed Bazoum and his wife in February of this year. Non-adherence to the group’s recommendations could lead to legal consequences, including sanctions on Niger.