Source: Amnesty International –
The upholding of the sentencing of Mali’s former prime minister Moussa Mara on appeal after his unjust conviction on baseless charges is an affront to justice, Amnesty International said today.
Moussa Mara, leader of the opposition Yéléma party, was arrested on 1 August 2025. He was charged with ‘discrediting the state’, ‘inciting to disturb public order’ and ‘opposition to legitimate authority’ in relation to a post he shared on X expressing his solidarity with detained political and civil society figures he visited in prison.
“Moussa Mara’s case is emblematic of the authorities’ constant attacks against the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and persistent disregard for the rule of law and human rights obligations under Malian constitution, and international human rights treaties to which the country is a state party,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
“We are deeply concerned about the upholding of these bogus and politically motivated charges. The authorities must quash the baseless conviction and sentence and immediately release Moussa Mara. They must also release other people held solely for peacefully exercising their human rights.”
Mara’s persecution is part of a wider trend of repression by the Malian authorities, including by weaponizing the justice system to target their critics.
Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa