Niger coup anniversary: ​​Fear of death sentence for ex-President Mohamed Bazoum

The lawyer of the ousted President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, told the BBC as the country celebrates a year since the coup that he fears that the former leader of the country may face the death penalty.

Last month Niger’s supreme court deprived Mr. Bazoum of his immunity from prosecutionpaving the way for him to be tried for treason – which is punishable by death – and other crimes he is accused of.

Mr. Bazoum, 64, and his wife Hadiza were kept in cells last year without a phone and without a doctor to visit them, said lawyer Moussa Coulibaly.

Earlier this week, France demanded their release but junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani gave a scathing TV address, saying no government or outside organization can tell Niger how to behave.

In addition to Mr. Bazoum, at least 30 former government officials and people close to him have been unjustly arrested, as well as several journalists, said a joint report by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights.

“It is safe to say that there is no longer any law in Niger”, Mr Coulibaly, the former president’s lawyer and former head of Niger’s Bar Association, told the BBC.

The termination of Mr. Bazoum’s immunity “may mean that he will be judged by a special court that will not be independent or impartial and he risks the death penalty by firing squad if convicted”, he said.

General Tchiani’s speech broadcast on Thursday evening was aimed as much at France, the former colonial power, as at its citizens.

“Those who dream of a return to power near the kingdoms that have fallen under its influence are in for a rude awakening. Before it is too late, they will have to face the facts: our march towards full sovereignty cannot be accelerated,” he told viewers. .

“There is no state, no international organization, that will tell us how we should behave, or its agenda in terms of strategic or diplomatic cooperation,” said General Tchiani.

Niger’s new military rulers are looking to Russia after cutting defense and diplomatic ties with France.

They took power with promises to improve security – and earlier this month a new security alliance was announced between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali as they left the West African bloc, Ecowas.

Yet attacks by Islamic militants and security challenges continue, frustrating citizens.

The media is expected to report only on the success of the military, while the radio stations end up having to rely on talking to local activists to get true information about what is really happening on the ground, explained analyst Beverly Ochieng. The BBC’s Global Jigsaw podcast.

Since Niger’s military took over last year, rights organizations say attacked independent media as well as peaceful protest.

The wider Sahel region – much of which is controlled by military officials – is becoming a “non-news zone”, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Meanwhile the US has announced that it expects to withdraw its last 1,000 troops from Niger in August – a month earlier than planned.

It used the West African country as its main base for monitoring jihadist activity in the region, however that deal ended a few months ago after intense negotiations with the new management.