NIAMEY (Reuters) – A West African court on Friday ruled that the ousted president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and his family were arbitrarily detained and called for his reinstatement.

Bazoum was toppled during a military coup on July 26 and has since been in detention with his family.

The coup was widely condemned and prompted sanctions from West Africa’s main political and economic bloc, the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), amid widespread calls for a return to democratic rule.

The ECOWAS Court of Justice on Friday ordered Niger’s junta to re-establish constitutional order through Bazoum’s reinstatement.

The judge, Gberi-Be Ouattara, called for his immediate and unconditional release.

(Reporting by Moussa Aksar; Writing by Sofia Christensen,; Editing by William Maclean)

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