PARIS – Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum has been held prisoner for a year under “scandalous conditions,” French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. Addressing reporters in Paris, Lemoine reiterated France’s strong condemnation of Bazoum’s detention and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
Lemoine expressed concerns over the recent decision to lift Bazoum’s immunity from prosecution, warning that it could worsen his detention conditions.
Bazoum, elected in 2021, was overthrown on July 26 last year by General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of his presidential guard. Despite being ousted, Bazoum has not resigned and continues to assert his legitimacy as Niger’s rightful leader. He has been denied contact with his lawyers and faces charges of plotting against state security and treason. The ruling military junta accuses him of planning an “armed intervention” to support him against the coup in phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Lemoine also criticized the junta’s decisions since the coup, noting a resurgence in terrorist acts and the negative impact on the country’s stability. Following the coup, Niger’s military government terminated defense ties with France and demanded the withdrawal of French troops, who were in the country to combat jihadists. All French troops are expected to leave by the end of 2023, and US forces are also set to depart by mid-September this year.
