Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum faces potential death penalty charges, his lawyer, Moussa Coulibaly, told the media as the country marks a year since the coup.
Last month, Niger’s top court stripped Bazoum of his immunity, allowing him to be tried for treason and other offenses, which are punishable by death.
Bazoum, 64, and his wife have been detained without phone access or visits, except from a doctor, for the past year. France recently demanded their release, but junta leader Gen Abdourahamane Tiani insisted no foreign entity could dictate Niger’s actions.
In addition to Bazoum, at least 30 former officials and associates, along with several journalists, have been detained. Human rights organizations report a significant erosion of the rule of law in Niger.
Gen Tiani, in a defiant speech, emphasized Niger’s march toward full sovereignty and rejected foreign interference, particularly targeting France.
Niger’s new military rulers have aligned more closely with Russia, forming a new security alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali, despite ongoing Islamist militant attacks and security challenges.
Rights groups claim the junta has cracked down on independent media and dissent. Reporters Without Borders describes the Sahel region as becoming a “no-news zone.” Meanwhile, the US announced it will withdraw its remaining 1,000 troops from Niger by August, ending its operations in the region following strained negotiations with the new regime.
