Mali trial: Jailed polemicist’s fate to be decided on July 11th

Bathily, also known as Ras Bath, is accused of “simulating an offence,” “criminal conspiracy” and
“insulting the head of state”.

His trial opened on Tuesday June 13.

At the end of the proceedings, during which the public prosecutor requested a three-year suspended prison sentence for the accused, the verdict was postponed until July 11.

Speaking to the media, the defendant’s lawyer, Kassoum Tapo, said he had demonstrated “that no element of the offence has been established, and the court will rule in a month’s time on July 11.”

He expressed confidence that the verdict will be in favour of his client’s release.

Bathily’s supporters had mobilised in front of the court hoping for his release from prison, but to no avail.

They will have to wait until July 11 to find out his fate.

All requests for his provisional release were rejected by the court.

The polemicist and his advisors filed a complaint against prosecutor Idrissa Toure for “forfeiture, simulation of an offence, illegal arrest and sequestration.”

The plaintiff believed that the prosecutor had used his position to illegally arrest him for an offence he had
never committed.  No further action has been taken on this complaint.

Ras Bath was arrested on March 13 after declaring at the third national conference of the Asma-CFP party that former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, who died in custody on March 21, 2022, had been assassinated.

Placed under a committal order for “simulating an offence” and “damaging the credit of the State taken in judicial actions, by means of an information system,” his charges will be increased after his hearing on Wednesday March 29.

He is also being prosecuted for “criminal conspiracy, damage to the credit of the state in its judicial and political governance.”

These charges carry a sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment.

This situation comes at a time when Mali is in the midst of a fervent campaign for a constitutional referendum, which is due to end on Friday.

The ballot will be held on June 18 to validate the draft of the new Constitution.

MD/ac/fss/as/APA