Two years after being ousted in a military coup, Niger’s former president, Mohamed Bazoum, remains confined within the presidential palace, isolated from family, lawyers and supporters, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday.
Bazoum, 65, and his wife, Hadiza, have had no contact with the outside world since the coup swept through the West African desert nation on July 23, 2023.
The coup was led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, Bazoum’s former presidential guard chief, who has since declared himself president, vowing no elections will be held until at least 2030.
Bazoum and his wife were imprisoned in their residence on the day of the coup and have not been allowed to leave since.
Their movements were restricted to a few rooms after they allegedly attempted to escape. Their mobile devices were also confiscated.
According to Bazoum’s lawyers, their only contact with the outside world comes from regular visits by a doctor.
The military government accuses Bazoum of high treason. However, no trial has taken place so far.
“Despite clear rulings by international courts and U.N. bodies calling for his release, he remains a hostage of a military junta,” one of his lawyers said, according to Human Rights Watch.
Bazoum spends his days training on an indoor bicycle and reading Marxist theory, Shakespeare and Tolstoy, The New York Times reported last year.
His son, who was also initially detained, was allowed to leave the country in 2024 after mediation by Togo.
Bazoum, who was democratically elected president in 2021, had strong relations with European countries and the United States, for whom Niger was an important partner in the fight against terrorist groups in the region and migration to Europe.
Bazoum also championed controversial issues in Niger such as education for young girls and negotiations with separatists.
Niger has a population of 27 million and one of the world’s highest birth rates. Despite rich mineral resources such as uranium deposits, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
