Lawyers call for former president to be freed three years after coup

Lawyers for Niger's deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum, have called for his immediate release three years after he was toppled and detained by the military.

Elected in 2021, the 66-year-old has been held along with his wife, Hadiza, in a wing of the presidential palace in Niamey since the July 2023 coup.

The international collective of lawyers says Bazoum is being arbitrarily detained.

"They have never been brought before a magistrate and have not been informed of the existence of any proceedings against them," said West African lawyers and US human rights attorney Reed Brody.

They say the couple has never been brought before a magistrate and have not been informed of the existence of any proceedings against them.

Months after the coup, the military leaders led by General Abdourahamane Tiani said it intended putting Bazoum on trial.

It accused him of treason and of "plotting against the security and authority of the state" but to date, no case has been publicly opened.

In addition, the lawyers say Bazoum and his wife have been allowed almost no contact with the outside world, with no visits from family in the past three years.

The European Union, United Nations experts, and several international leaders have also called for his release.

Bazoum has refused to resign though his term in office formally ended in April this year.

Niger’s new leaders have presided over a crackdown on opponents, jailing journalists, activists and civil society figures.