A court in Bamako has sentenced former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara to two years in prison, one of which is suspended, after convicting him of “undermining the credibility of the state” and “opposing legitimate authority.” The charges stem from social media posts in which he expressed solidarity with political detainees.
Judges from the National Cybercrime Unit in the capital, Bamako, announced on Monday their decision, which also includes a fine of 500,000 CFA francs (about 762 euros) and a symbolic payment of one franc to the Malian state, which joined the case as a civil party.
During hearings in September, the prosecution had requested a two-year prison sentence — a demand partially upheld by the court.
Mara’s lawyer, Mountaga Tall, announced that his client would appeal the verdict.
Amnesty International condemned the trial as a “judicial farce” and called for Mara’s immediate release. “The conviction and sentencing of Moussa Mara reflect the Malian authorities’ ongoing contempt for their human rights obligations,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
Moussa Mara served as Mali’s Prime Minister from April 2014 to January 2015. He was arrested on August 1 this year following a series of social media posts in July, in which he stated that he regularly visits “prisoners of conscience” and expressed his solidarity with them.