Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has appealed to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court to end his arbitrary arrest and hand power over to him. Bazoum was overthrown by his presidential guard on July 26 and has been detained with his wife and child since. His lawyer, Seydou Diagne, filed a lawsuit in Abuja, Nigeria, on September 18, citing his “arbitrary arrest” and “violation of freedom of movement.”
The lawsuit requests that the state of Niger be ordered to restore constitutional order by handing over power to Bazoum, who must continue to exercise it until the end of his mandate. ECOWAS has expressed a potential military intervention in Niger if diplomatic efforts to restore Bazoum’s power fail. The European Union (EU) has reiterated its support for ECOWAS’s position and called for the immediate and unconditional release of Bazoum and his family.