A COURT In Mali Has Sentenced Former Prime Minister Moussa Mara To One Year In Prison For Allegedly Publishing An Online Message That Criticized Government Authorities And Expressed Support For Imprisoned Political Opponents.
In Addition To The One-Year Prison Sentence, The Court Imposed An Additional 12-Month Suspended Sentence And A Fine Of 500,000 CFA Francs (Approximately 1.5 Million Tanzanian Shillings). Mara Has Been In Detention Since August 1, Several Weeks After Posting A Message On The Social Media Platform X (Formerly Twitter), In Which He Mentioned Visiting Several Political Prisoners And Expressed Solidarity With Them.
In His Post Dated July 4, Mara Wrote: “As Long As The Night Continues, The Sun Will Rise! We Will Fight By All Means To Make That Happen As Soon As Possible.” Authorities Interpreted The Statement As A Political Provocation, Accusing Mara Of Undermining State Institutions And Encouraging Dissent Against The Military-Led Government.
The Ruling Comes Amid Growing Criticism Of Mali’s Military Junta, Which Seized Power In A 2021 Coup. Human Rights Groups Have Accused The Transitional Government Of Cracking Down On Free Speech And Arresting Opposition Figures And Activists. Mara’s Conviction Is Being Viewed Internationally As Part Of A Broader Trend Of Shrinking Civic Space And Political Repression In The Sahel Region.