The decision opens the door for the military government to prosecute the democratically elected president for alleged “high treason”.
The top court of military-ruled Niger has lifted the immunity of the country’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, paving the way for a possible trial almost a year after he was ousted by mutinous soldiers.
Abdou Dan Galadima, president of the State Court, the country’s highest legal authority, created in November by the military government, announced the decision on Friday.
Military authorities began legal proceedings earlier this year, declaring their intention to eventually prosecute Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining national security.
Under house arrest with his family, Bazoum is accused of having spoken by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an attempt to secure Western support during the coup in July 2023.
The judicial process was postponed twice, with Bazoum’s lawyers complaining of several obstacles to the right to defense. They have not been able to communicate with him since last October.
Human Rights Watch, an international human rights group, alleged that the hearing was marked by serious irregularities, including violations of Bazoum’s rights to present evidence in his defense, to communicate with his lawyer and to be heard before an independent tribunal.
Late last year, the highest court in the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, ruled that Bazoum and his family had been arbitrarily detained and called for his release and reinstatement in office. Niger left the group a month later.
After Friday’s hearing, Ould Salem Mohamed, one of Bazoum’s lawyers, said he took note of the decision and that the defense team would make a statement soon.
Before Bazoum was forcibly removed from power, Niger was the West’s last major security partner in the Sahel, the vast region south of the Sahara desert that for years was plagued by deadly violence by armed groups.
Bazoum, a former teacher, was elected in 2021 – the country’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960. Praised for his democratic credentials, he has provided a basis for powers such as France and the US to launch security campaigns against affiliated armed groups . with ISIL (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda.
The military government has since expelled the French military. US troops were also ordered to leave and officially began their withdrawal.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
