Marking two years since the military takeover in Niger, the European Union and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday pressed the country’s junta to release deposed president Mohamed Bazoum from detention.
Bazoum, 65, and his wife Hadiza have remained confined to a section of the presidential residence since the July 2023 coup. According to his legal team, they have not been allowed to step outside the premises throughout the two-year period.
While acknowledging the recent release of several political detainees, the EU said it remained concerned by Bazoum’s ongoing captivity. In a statement from its High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, the bloc reiterated its demand for the immediate release of all those imprisoned for political reasons.
“This continued detention is unacceptable,” the EU stressed, urging Niger’s military rulers to restore democratic norms and uphold human rights.
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Macron also called for Bazoum’s release, in a separate statement Saturday.
“Today, my thoughts are with Mohamed Bazoum, arbitrarily held for two years after the putsch which drove him from office as president of Niger,” Macron wrote on Facebook.
“I am also thinking of his wife Hadiza, who is held with him and his loved ones. I add my voice to all those calling for his release,” he added.
Despite early claims that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum would be prosecuted for treason, Niger’s military rulers have yet to initiate formal legal proceedings against him, nearly two years after the July 2023 coup that removed him from office.
Following the takeover, the junta accused Bazoum of endangering national security and undermining state authority — allegations that, if proven in court, could carry the death penalty, according to his defense team.
In a controversial move last June, a regime-backed court stripped Bazoum of presidential immunity, a step widely seen as paving the way for prosecution. However, no official case has been filed, and Bazoum, who won election in 2021 and has refused to step down, remains confined within the presidential compound alongside his wife.
The European Union has reiterated its stance on the matter, maintaining its willingness to engage with Niger’s transitional government. “We are open to genuine and constructive dialogue based on mutual respect and common goals,” read a statement from EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas.
The continued detention of Bazoum remains a flashpoint in relations between Niger’s military regime and the international community.