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Amnesty International on Monday urged Malian authorities to overturn the conviction of former Prime Minister Moussa Mara and secure his release. The organization asserted that the prosecution is unfounded, unjust, and indicative of a broader effort to silence government critics.
Amnesty International further stated that this case exemplifies a pattern in which state authorities use criminal law to suppress dissent, contravening constitutional guarantees and international human rights obligations.
Mara was arrested on 1 August 2025 for publicly expressing his “unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.” Prosecutors charged him with “discrediting the state,” inciting disturbance of public order, opposing legitimate authority, and undermining state authority. The charges were based on a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which Mara expressed support for detained activists and political figures he had visited. In a subsequent post, Mara reported that after several hours of questioning at a judicial investigation unit, he was permitted to return home but was ordered to reappear the following morning as proceedings continued.
In October 2025, Mali’s cybercrime court convicted Mara for his social media activity, sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment, including one year of mandatory custody, and imposing a fine of 500,000 CFA francs. An appellate court subsequently upheld the judgment, maintaining the conviction.
Amnesty International asserted that the charges criminalize peaceful expression and therefore lack legal legitimacy under Malian constitutional law and international treaties. The organization said that prosecuting speech expressing solidarity with detainees is incompatible with protections for political participation and public debate. Amnesty International further argued that the proceedings demonstrate systemic misuse of judicial mechanisms for political purposes.
Mali has been governed by military authorities since a 2020 coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Although transitional leaders initially pledged an 18-month return to civilian rule, the transition period has been extended three times. In April 2025, authorities dissolved all political parties and extended the transition by an additional five years.
Malian courts have previously imposed similar sentences on public figures for critical speech. Activist Adama Diarra, also known as “Ben le Cerveau,” received a two-year sentence, with one year of mandatory imprisonment in 2023, for criticizing the possible extension of Mali’s political transition. In 2024, former vice president of the National Transitional Council Issa Kaou N’Djim was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for remarks concerning authorities in neighboring Burkina Faso. He was released after serving his one-year sentence.
In September 2025, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that Mali’s civil liberties situation is deteriorating and called on the governing junta to repeal laws obstructing democratic transition and to release all individuals detained unlawfully.
The post Rights group condemns former Mali PM conviction and calls for his release appeared first on JURIST - News.
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Amnesty International further stated that this case exemplifies a pattern in which state authorities use criminal law to suppress dissent, contravening constitutional guarantees and international human rights obligations.
Mara was arrested on 1 August 2025 for publicly expressing his “unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.” Prosecutors charged him with “discrediting the state,” inciting disturbance of public order, opposing legitimate authority, and undermining state authority. The charges were based on a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which Mara expressed support for detained activists and political figures he had visited. In a subsequent post, Mara reported that after several hours of questioning at a judicial investigation unit, he was permitted to return home but was ordered to reappear the following morning as proceedings continued.
In October 2025, Mali’s cybercrime court convicted Mara for his social media activity, sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment, including one year of mandatory custody, and imposing a fine of 500,000 CFA francs. An appellate court subsequently upheld the judgment, maintaining the conviction.
Amnesty International asserted that the charges criminalize peaceful expression and therefore lack legal legitimacy under Malian constitutional law and international treaties. The organization said that prosecuting speech expressing solidarity with detainees is incompatible with protections for political participation and public debate. Amnesty International further argued that the proceedings demonstrate systemic misuse of judicial mechanisms for political purposes.
Mali has been governed by military authorities since a 2020 coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Although transitional leaders initially pledged an 18-month return to civilian rule, the transition period has been extended three times. In April 2025, authorities dissolved all political parties and extended the transition by an additional five years.
Malian courts have previously imposed similar sentences on public figures for critical speech. Activist Adama Diarra, also known as “Ben le Cerveau,” received a two-year sentence, with one year of mandatory imprisonment in 2023, for criticizing the possible extension of Mali’s political transition. In 2024, former vice president of the National Transitional Council Issa Kaou N’Djim was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for remarks concerning authorities in neighboring Burkina Faso. He was released after serving his one-year sentence.
In September 2025, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that Mali’s civil liberties situation is deteriorating and called on the governing junta to repeal laws obstructing democratic transition and to release all individuals detained unlawfully.
The post Rights group condemns former Mali PM conviction and calls for his release appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.