The legal team of former Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has asked a West African regional court to reinstall him, claiming that his imprisonment and removal from power violated his political rights.
Soldiers deposed Bazoum on July 26, claiming his failure to confront the region’s escalating instability. This was one of eight comparable power changes in West and Central Africa in the previous three years.
The attorneys for Bazoum brought their case to the Community Court of Justice, a body intended to deal with issues inside the ECOWAS regional bloc. It is vital to highlight that the court’s decisions are not binding on member states, and there is no mechanism in place to enforce its decisions.
Seydou Diagne, a member of Bazoum’s legal team, argued that the removal of Bazoum’s government constituted a violation of his political rights. Diagne, speaking from Dakar, Senegal, via video link, called for Bazoum’s unconditional release and his reinstatement as president. The legal team also contended that the detention of Bazoum, along with his wife and son, infringed upon their human rights.
In response, Aissatou Zada, a lawyer representing the Niger junta, asserted that Bazoum, his wife, and son were not arbitrarily detained or held against their will. Zada argued that they had the freedom to move about, with Bazoum being held at home for security reasons.
Notably, Bazoum’s legal team claimed they had been unable to communicate with him since October 20, following allegations by the junta that the former president had attempted to escape with the help of accomplices. The court is expected to make a decision on this case on November 30.
