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An Abidjan court has sentenced Mamadou Hawa Gassama to three years in prison for insulting Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
During an interview with Malian media in September 2022, Gassama, a member of junta-ruled Mali’s transitional parliament, referred to President Alassane as an “enemy of Mali.”
Gassama was arrested and detained after a stay in the Ivory Coast in July. He was prosecuted for disseminating offensive expressions online and also insulting the head of state.
The Abidjan court has now jailed him for three years, after which he faces a ban on residence for the same period.
Gassama’s lawyer, Mamadou Ismaila Konate, while speaking to reporters, stated that the situation was very difficult.
“We believe that this decision is, first of all, excessive; it is serious, and it is very severe.”
Diplomatic relations between Mali and the Ivory Coast have been tense since coups in 2020 and 2021, which brought General Assimi Goita to power in Bamako.
Ouattara has strongly opposed the coups which have shaken several countries in West Africa’s Sahel region in recent years.
Gassama, known for being outspoken, was an opposition lawmaker during the presidency of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was ousted in the 2020 military coup.
