Current:Home > StocksNiger coup leaders say they'll prosecute President Bazoum for "high treason" -VisionFunds
Niger coup leaders say they'll prosecute President Bazoum for "high treason"
View
Date:2025-04-14 07:50:50
Niger's coup leaders said Monday they will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for "high treason" and undermining state security.
The announcement was made on state television by Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane just hours after the military junta that ousted the president said they were open to resolving the mounting regional crisis diplomatically.
Abdramane said the military regime had "gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute before competent national and international authorities the ousted president and his local and foreign accomplices for high treason and for undermining the internal and external security of Niger."
If found guilty, Bazoum could face the death penalty, according to Niger's penal code.
Niger's democratically elected president was ousted by members of his presidential guard on July 26 and has since been under house arrest with his wife and son. People close to the president as well as those in his ruling party say the family's electricity and water have been cut off and they're running out of food.
A member of his entourage said he saw his doctor on Saturday.
"After this visit, the doctor raised no problems regarding the state of health of the deposed president and members of his family," the military said.
International pressure is mounting on the military junta to reinstate Bazoum. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has imposed sanctions on Niger and threatened military intervention if civilian rule is not restored.
But new Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine said in an interview released Monday that Niger will be able to thwart the sanctions, according to Agence France-Presse.
On July 30, it issued a seven-day ultimatum to restore Bazoum or face the potential use of force, but the deadline expired without the new rulers backing down.
In the weeks since the coup, the junta has entrenched itself in power, appointing a new government and leveraging anti-French sentiment against its former colonial ruler to shore up support among the population.
The African Union Peace and Security Council was meeting Monday to discuss Niger's crisis and could overrule the decision if it felt wider peace and security on the continent was threatened by an intervention.
- In:
- Niger
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Why 'Monarch' Godzilla show was a 'strange new experience' for Kurt and Wyatt Russell
- The debate over Ukraine aid was already complicated. Then it became tangled up in US border security
- Memorial planned for Kansas police dog that was strangled after chasing suspect into storm drain
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukraine since start of invasion, says Ukrainian military
- Aaron Rodgers' accelerated recovery: medical experts weigh in on the pace, risks after injury
- UN confirms sexual spread of mpox in Congo for the 1st time as country sees a record outbreak
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Israel summons Spanish, Belgian ambassadors following criticism during visit to Rafah
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Mexico cancels conference on 1960s and 1970s rights violations raising claims of censorship
- Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro' fully captures Bernstein's charisma and complexity
- The Best Dyson Black Friday Deals of 2023: Score $100 Off the Airwrap & More
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- I investigated the crimes of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos — and loved 'Here Lies Love'
- Stakes are clear for Michigan: Beat Ohio State or be labeled a gigantic fraud
- Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Reunite for Thanksgiving Amid Separation
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
‘Adopt an axolotl’ campaign launches in Mexico to save iconic species from pollution and trout
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Reunite for Thanksgiving Amid Separation
Jets vs. Dolphins winners and losers: Tyreek Hill a big winner after Week 12 win
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
Gaza shrinks for Palestinians seeking refuge. 4 stories offer a glimpse into a diminished world
Gaza shrinks for Palestinians seeking refuge. 4 stories offer a glimpse into a diminished world
6-year-old Mississippi girl honored for rescue efforts after her mother had a stroke while driving