In Niger, on July 29, the courts ordered the provisional release of four former ministers of ousted president Mohamed Bazoum. Arrested after the July 26 coup, all four are being prosecuted for “ attack on national security ” And ” crime of treason “. Three months after this decision by the Nigerian courts, none of them has finally been released.
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They were only waiting for the order to lift their imprisonment to be released provisionally. Hama Amadou Souley, former Minister of the Interior Nigerien under the presidency of Mohamed Bazoumthe former Minister of Finance Ahmat Jidoud, that of Energy, Ibrahim Yacoubou, and his colleague from Planning, Rabiou Abdou are still in prison, three months later.
“ It’s the status quo », Indicates a source close to the matter. Nothing has changed since the Investigation Control Chamber, which acts as a court of appeal, ordered their provisional release.
Neither this body, nor the investigating judge of the military court, subsequently responded to letters from lawyers who requested the execution of this decision.
An additional charge added to their file
According to this same source, a new accusation has since been added to the file of the four former ministers: that “ criminal association “. On this basis, they are the subject of a new committal warrant.
Lawyers for the four former ministers filed a motion for annulment. They denounce a formal defect and they believe that no new facts since their arrest justify this additional accusation.
Also readNiger: justice orders the provisional release of four ex-ministers of deposed president Mohamed Bazoum