Keypoints:
- Bazoum, wife held two years post-coup
- Junta uses couple to avoid foreign strikes
- Legal options exhausted, talks underway
OUSTED Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum and his wife Hadiza remain under tight confinement in the presidential palace in Niamey, two years after a military junta seized power. Their lawyers say the ruling generals are using the couple as ‘human shields’ to prevent any foreign military action aimed at restoring democratic rule.
The Bazoums have not faced formal charges or appeared in court since the July 26, 2023 coup, when soldiers led by General Abdourahamane Tiani blocked palace access and later announced the overthrow of the elected government. The couple has been confined ever since to a section of the palace, without access to sunlight, internet, television, or outside visitors—except for a weekly visit by a doctor.
According to a source close to the family, ‘the detention conditions have not changed’ in two years. The former first couple remain in two windowless rooms. Their only form of exercise is a stationary bike, and they spend much of their time reading books provided by the doctor.
Junta leader shares palace with Bazoum
The leader of the junta, General Tiani, also resides in the same palace compound, further fuelling claims that Bazoum is being kept as a deterrent to foreign intervention.
‘They are being held as insurance against military strikes,’ Reed Brody, an American lawyer representing Bazoum, told AFP. He noted that after the coup, the West African bloc ECOWAS considered launching a military operation to reverse the takeover and free the president. The physical presence of Bazoum and his wife in the palace likely prevented such plans from advancing.
‘It’s a way of making sure no one bombs the palace or tries to remove them by force,’ Brody added.
Despite being held in isolation, Bazoum and Hadiza are reportedly coping. Brody said the couple suffers from sleep disorders but ‘remain in good spirits’.
Their son, Salem, 23, who was detained with them, was released in early 2024 after Togo helped broker a deal. The junta had offered to release Hadiza, but she refused to leave without her husband.
Legal options exhausted, diplomacy remains
Bazoum, elected in 2021, has never resigned from office. ‘He is someone who believes in democracy. Resigning would betray his oath,’ said a source close to the ousted president.
Although the junta announced plans to try Bazoum for ‘treason’ and undermining state authority—charges that could carry the death penalty—no trial has taken place. Bazoum’s diplomatic immunity was lifted last year, and while a preliminary investigation was opened, no legal process has followed.
Brody believes the junta is reluctant to transfer Bazoum to a formal prison for fear of backlash. ‘They don’t want a real judicial process. They want to keep him close to the general.’
Legal teams have filed numerous cases with international bodies, including the ECOWAS Court of Justice and the United Nations. Both have deemed the detention ‘arbitrary’ and demanded Bazoum’s release. However, Niger’s withdrawal from ECOWAS has weakened the regional court’s authority.
‘We have won every legal battle, but legal avenues are exhausted,’ said Brody. ‘Now, we rely on political action.’
Sources suggest negotiations for Bazoum’s release are ongoing, with Qatar reportedly involved in talks with Niger’s junta. Mediation by Togo helped secure the release of Salem Bazoum, raising hopes that similar efforts might eventually free his parents.
Seidik Abba, head of the International Center for Studies and Reflections on the Sahel, called Bazoum’s detention an ‘exceptional situation’ that symbolises the broader democratic crisis facing the region.
Human Rights Watch renewed its appeal this week, calling on Niger’s military authorities to end the unlawful detention and release the former president and first lady immediately.
