The sentencing of former Prime Minister Moussa Mara to two years in prison marks yet another sign of Mali’s deepening repression under its military-led government.
Development Diaries reports that Mara, who was Prime Minister from April 2014 to January 2015 and president of the opposition party Yéléma, was arrested on 01 August.
According to a report by Amnesty International, he was accused of ‘discrediting the state’, ‘inciting a breach of public order’ and ‘opposition to legitimate authority’.
It is understood that his arrest happened after he posted a tweet on 04 July, expressing his solidarity with several imprisoned activists and politicians.
Mara’s arrest and conviction for ‘discrediting the state’ and ‘inciting a breach of public order’ merely for expressing solidarity with detained activists reveal how far Mali’s authorities have strayed from basic democratic principles.
Also, his prosecution demonstrates the misuse of judicial processes to silence critics, a trend that has intensified since the 2020 coup.
The government’s continuous extension of the transition period, dissolution of political parties, and targeting of opposition voices have eroded public trust and shrunk civic space.
This development raises serious human rights concerns under both Mali’s domestic and international obligations.
As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Mali is required to uphold the rights to freedom of expression (Article 19), peaceful assembly (Article 21), and association (Article 22), as well as the right to liberty and security of person (Article 9) and fair trial guarantees (Article 14).
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights further affirms these protections under Articles 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11, and obligates states to ensure that citizens can participate freely in their government (Article 13).
The conviction of Mara and continued detention of activists like Clément Dembélé, Ras Bath, and Adama Diarra violate these binding obligations and demonstrate a persistent disregard for rule of law.
The increasing use of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and judicial harassment against journalists, activists, and opposition members highlights a disturbing trend toward authoritarianism.
According to Amnesty International’s findings, the cases of El Béchir Thiam, abducted by alleged intelligence agents, and Dembélé, detained despite a court ruling ordering his release, reflect a collapse of judicial independence.
Such actions contravene the UN Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (1992) and Mali’s own Constitution, which guarantees due process and protection from arbitrary arrest.
The government’s crackdown on dissenters violates fundamental rights and also undermines the credibility of the transitional process it claims to uphold.
The Malian authorities must immediately release Moussa Mara and all individuals detained solely for exercising their rights to free expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
Furthermore, the government should restore judicial independence, end the misuse of security institutions against civilians, and comply with its obligations under international and regional human rights law.
Photo source: Fabien Offner/AFP via Getty Images
