Mohamed Bazoum Salem, the son of overthrown Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, was provisionally released from house arrest in Niamey by Niger’s military tribunal on Monday. The 22-year-old faced charges of conspiring to undermine the authority or state security, following a military coup on July 26, 2023. Salem has spent the prior six months under detention with his family.
Both former President Mohamed Bazoum and his family have been under house arrest since the coup in July. Bazoum was moved to an undisclosed location after an alleged escape attempt, in a move that seemed to be aimed at further destabilizing the nation. This incident was recorded in October 2023.
The coup was met with backlash on the international stage, with bodies including the UN expressing concerns for Bazoum’s safety. Despite a long history of power struggles and coups, Bazoum had been democratically elected in 2021 as Niger’s president, making his refusal to resign, despite his current captivity, notable.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) implemented sanctions on the Nigerien coup leaders, insisting on reinstating Bazoum and suggesting the readiness to apply force, if required. The ECOWAS Court of Justice further ruled Bazoum’s detention to be arbitrary and unconstitutional on December 15, 2023, and issued an order for his release within a month.
No further details have been provided by the military tribunal regarding the status of the remaining Bazoum family members.
More information can be found here.