The lawyer for Niger’s ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, has expressed concerns that the former head of state could face a death penalty at the hands of the military junta, General Abdourahamane Tiani, that seized power in a coup d’état on August 20, 2023.

While addressing the media on July 26, 2024, Moussa Coulibaly, who serves as both President Bazoum’s lawyer and the former head of Niger’s Bar Association, said that Niger no longer has any rule of law following the military’sdeath penalty actions.

In June 2024, Niger’s top court stripped Bazoum of his immunity from prosecution, paving the way for him to be tried for treason, which is punishable by death, and other alleged offenses. Coulibaly explained thatPresident Bazoum has been detained by the military junta since their takeover. The coup leaders have suspended the constitution, dissolved the govern this possibly implies that he will be judged by a special court, which will be neither independent nor impartial, and he risks the death penalty by shooting if convicted.

President Bazoum has been detained by the military junta since their takeover. The coup leaders have suspended the constitution, dissolved the government, and closed the country’s borders, which has drawn widespread international condemnation.

The African Union has demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order and the release of President Bazoum, while the United Nations Security Council has called for a return to dialogue and the peaceful resolution of the crisis.