December 15, 2023

ECOWAS court has ordered the immediate release of Niger’s deposed president Mohamed Bazoum from detention.

The embattled ex-leader has been held since a July 26, 2023 coup

The court on Friday called for his “immediate and unconditional release” and ordered that Bazoum be reinstated, according to the judge in the case heard in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

“It is Mohamed Bazoum who represents the state of Niger, he remains president of the republic,” the court ruling said.

“There are constitutional rights that have been violated.”

Niger is currently suspended from the Economic Community of West African States. Other member states have, in the past, ignored rulings from the ECOWAS court.