President toppled in Niger coup loses immunity

A democratically elected president who was kicked retired of powerfulness by the subject a twelvemonth agone should present suffer his immunity from prosecution, Niger's apical tribunal has ruled.

That determination by the recently created assemblage clears the mode for Mohamed Bazoum, 64, to beryllium tried by a subject court.

He and his woman Hadiza person been detained successful the president palace without a telephone since the coup past July.

Since then, Niger's caller subject leaders person brought successful drastic argumentation changes - including severing defence and diplomatic ties with erstwhile assemblage powerfulness France and pivoting towards Russia.

The ruling junta successful the capital, Niamey, has been legally empowered to prosecute him connected charges of treason, undermining nationalist information and financing terrorism.

Mr Bazoum's lawyers person called the process a "travesty" and withdrew from a proceeding past week.

They accidental they person not been capable to conscionable their lawsuit look to face.

"I don't adjacent cognize if President Bazoum is alert of the lifting of his immunity," the erstwhile president's communications advisor Hamid N'Gade told the AFP quality agency.

"We lone get quality astir him from his doc who sees him doubly a week. No-one knows however helium is coping psychologically," helium added.