Niger court scraps immunity of deposed President Bazoum

Demonstrators gather in front of the embassy of Niger in Paris in support of Mohamed Bazoum, deposed as Nigerien president in a coup, on August 5, 2023 [Sophie Garcia/AP Photo]

The top court in military-governed Niger has lifted the immunity of the country’s deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum, paving the way for a possible trial nearly a year after he was overthrown by mutinous soldiers.

Abdou Dan Galadima, president of the State Court, the country’s highest legal authority that was created in November by the military government, announced the decision on Friday.