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An appeals court in Mali has upheld the prison sentence handed to former Prime Minister Moussa Mara over social media posts expressing support for political detainees.
Mara, who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2015, was charged in October with undermining state credibility and opposing lawful authority after he wrote in July that he had met political prisoners and pledged to seek justice for them. He has been in custody since 1 August 2025.Â
On Monday, the Bamako Court of Appeal reaffirmed his two-year sentence, with one year suspended, along with a fine of 500,000 CFA francs (about $908).
His lawyer, Mountaga Tall, said the legal team would not relent and planned to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.
Amnesty International criticised the decision, saying it was alarmed that what it described as politically driven charges had been upheld.
The rights group called on the authorities to overturn the conviction and release Mara, as well as others detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights.
Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty’s regional director for West and Central Africa, said the case reflected what he described as a broader pattern of repression by Mali’s authorities, including the use of the justice system to silence critics.
Mali has been under military rule since coups in 2020 and 2021. Since then, the junta has tightened its grip on dissent, taking actions against media outlets and dissolving political parties.
