The individuals are accused of complicity for refusing to tell the authorities where a man “making blasphemous remarks” against the Muslim community was hiding.
In Mali, a man accused of blasphemy against the Muslim religion is still at large. But six of his supporters have been placed under warrant following a complaint by the President of the High Islamic Council of Mali (HCI), Imam Chérif Ousmane Madani Haidara.
These defendants, including the writer Doumbi Fakoly, who has publicly taken a stand in defence of the author of the video, belong to the Kamite movement, which is considered a sect that does not recognise Allah and the prophets, said the prosecutor of the court of Bamako’s Commune 4, Idrissa Touré.
“For several days, a video showing a man making derogatory remarks about the community of faithful Muslims and engaging in offensive actions against the Koran, the Prophet Mohamed and Islam has been circulating on social networks,” reads the statement from the public prosecutor.
According to him, “these comments and actions constitute manifestations contrary to the freedom of conscience and worship likely to set citizens against each other.
This affair continues to cause a lot of ink to flow in Mali where the HCI, a group of religious associations and leaders, has called for the author of this act to be “killed”. A demonstration is planned this afternoon in Bamako to condemn the content of the video.
ARD/ac/lb/abj/APA