Court scraps deposed President’s immunity

Niger’s top court on Friday lifted the immunity of overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum, paving the way for a possible trial after his ouster in a July 2023 military coup. ‘The court orders the lifting of Mohamed Bazoum’s immunity,’ said court president Abdou Dan Galadima. The Citizen reports that the Niger authorities accuse Bazoum of treason, financing terrorism and plotting to undermine the state. He has been held at the presidential residence with his wife Hadiza since the coup on 26 July. ‘This decision clearly condones serious violations of the rights of the defence and marks the start of legal proceedings against the president, who is held illegally,’ lawyers representing Bazoum said in a statement sent to AFP. Bazoum is accused of having spoken by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a bid for support ‘by an armed intervention’ during the coup. On the eve of the court’s decision, Human Rights Watch denounced ‘unfair’ proceedings and ‘serious irregularities’.

Legalbrief reports that the first US soldiers and equipment have left Niger marking an end of US anti-jihadist operations in that country. In a joint statement, the US State Department and Niger's military regime said the departure from Niamey ‘exemplifies the productive co-operation between the US and Nigerian armed forces through the Joint Disengagement Commission, which is tasked with overseeing and co-ordinating the orderly and safe withdrawal of US forces from Niger.’ Niger's coup government in April bluntly instructed the US to remove its troops from the country, and that evacuation is due to be complete by 15 December.