Mali’s crackdown on free speech under junta rule

In a courtroom in Bamako, the capital of Mali, former Prime Minister Moussa Mara stood composed as judges denied his legal team’s request for provisional release. Instead, prosecutors pushed for a two-year prison sentence, underscoring the military junta’s ongoing clampdown on political opposition and dissenting voices.

Moussa Mara, who served as Prime Minister for eight months in 2014 and 2015, was detained on August 1 following a social media post. In the message, he expressed solidarity with imprisoned political activists and vowed to seek justice for them. Authorities swiftly responded by charging him with undermining state credibility, opposing legitimate authority, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information.

The trial began on September 29 before a cybercrime tribunal, with a verdict scheduled for October 27. Legal observers have raised serious concerns about the fairness of the proceedings. Defense lawyers argue that the charges are baseless. “This trial has nothing to do with the content of Mr. Mara’s post,” stated one member of his defense team. “It is a direct attack on freedom of expression.” The lead counsel, Mounkaïla Yayé, echoed these concerns, warning that a conviction could set a dangerous precedent.

Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, the military junta led by General Assimi Goïta has systematically suppressed political opposition, civil society, and media freedom in Mali. The government has banned all political parties, subjected journalists and human rights defenders to intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances. General Goïta has further consolidated power by postponing democratic elections, delaying the return to civilian rule.

The junta has also ignored repeated calls to hold security forces accountable for human rights violations. It has failed to meet its international legal obligations to investigate serious abuses and prosecute those responsible. In January, Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), stripping its citizens of the ability to seek justice for rights violations at the ECOWAS Court of Justice. In September, these three nations announced plans to exit the International Criminal Court (ICC) treaty, further jeopardizing access to justice for victims of mass atrocities.

The prosecution of Moussa Mara sends a chilling message: expressing support for the oppressed is now criminalized in Mali. It also reveals the junta’s intolerance for any form of dissent. Authorities must immediately drop all charges against him, release all arbitrarily detained individuals, and uphold the fundamental right to free speech.