Mali Former PM Faces Charges for Criticizing Military Junta

Moussa Mara, Mali's former prime minister, has been charged with undermining the state after expressing support for detained opposition leaders, highlighting tensions under military rule.

In Mali, the political climate is tense as the former prime minister, Moussa Mara, has been charged with undermining the credibility of the state. This charge stems from remarks he made on social media supporting imprisoned opposition figures. Following his prison visit to the detained leaders in July, Mara took to X (formerly Twitter), declaring his "unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience."

The ex-premier, who held office for nine months a decade ago, has actively criticized the current military government, which came into power following coups in 2020 and 2021. Political parties were disbanded by the junta in May amid rare protests against their rule.

On Thursday, largely due to his social media activities, Mara was summoned for questioning by the national cybercrime unit regarding a post made on July 4. In this post, he expressed that his visits served to ensure that "the flame of hope never fades in them." He concluded with a resolute statement: "As long as the night lasts, the sun will inevitably rise! And we will fight by all means to make that happen, as soon as possible!"

The prosecutor indicated that referencing "prisoners of conscience" and advocating for their liberation constituted an offense under current laws. Following his engagement with the state authorities, Mara was charged not only with undermining state credibility but also opposing legitimate authority and inciting public disorder.

Mara's trial is set for September 29. This legal action comes in the wake of military leader Gen Assimi Goïta being awarded a renewable five-year presidential term by the transitional parliament, despite his initial commitments to hold elections to restore multi-party governance by the next year. This turn of events has cast further doubt on Mali’s political future and its path back to democratic rule.