Ex-Mali Prime Minister Jailed Over Social Media Post

Mousa Mara, who briefly served as Mali’s Prime Minister from 2014 to 2015, has been charged with “undermining the credibility of the state” following a social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter). According to a prosecutor, the post addressed his visit to political prisoners. The former prime minister spoke of his unwavering support for the political prisoners, whom he described as “prisoners of conscience,” and his effort to ensure justice.

A vocal critic of General Assimi Goïta’s military-led government, Mara remains in detention ahead of his trial scheduled for September 29. His lawyer, Mountaga Tall, stated on X that Mara faces multiple charges, including undermining state authority, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information. Abdoulaye Yaro, a close associate, told the Associated Press that Mara’s arrest was ordered by a cybercrime prosecutor in response to his public show of solidarity with those imprisoned for their political beliefs

Mara’s arrest is one of the many crackdowns on free speech in Mali following the emergence of the military junta. In April, Alfousseini Togo, the editor of the weekly Le Canard de la Venise, was charged with “undermining the credibility of the justice system, “disturbing the peace, and “defamation” over questioning an article he wrote where he questioned comments made by the Minister of Justice and criticised the judiciary’s lack of independence. Appearing before the court in June, the journalist admitted to the charges to avoid returning to prison. He currently faces an eight-month suspended prison term and a fine of 500,000 CFA francs. 

Since toppling Mali’s civilian government in 2021, General Goïta has ruled with an iron fist, consolidated power into his hands, reneging on his promise to conduct an election, thus granting himself an uninterrupted rule for five years. Under his leadership, several opposition leaders have been arrested, tried, and sentenced on charges which include: “unauthorised demonstration” or “opposition to legitimate authority.” The government took it a notch higher in July by suspending political parties and banning media coverage of “all political activities” for three months. Reacting to the ban on political activities, a researcher at Amnesty International, Osmane Diallo, stated that the current state in Mali has gotten to the point where it will be very difficult to get back on track because things have really gone far from what was initially promised.