Former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara’s case has been referred to the public prosecutor in Bamako following two days of questioning by the Judicial Investigation Brigade (BIJ) over social media posts expressing solidarity with so-called “prisoners of conscience.”
After a second round of hearings at the BIJ on Wednesday, Mara was brought before the prosecutor at the High Court of Commune 4 in Bamako. He was accompanied throughout the proceedings by his lawyer, Me Mountaga Tall.
On Tuesday, 15 July, Mara had already spent several hours at the BIJ before returning home in the evening. In a brief statement, he said he remained “calm” and confirmed that he had been summoned for a follow-up appearance on Wednesday. The summons followed a series of solidarity messages posted on his social media accounts earlier this month, after visiting several detained public figures he described as “prisoners of conscience.”
During his visits, Mara met with a number of high-profile detainees, including Mohamed Youssouf Bathily (known as Ras Bath), Rose “La Vie Chère,” Clément Dembélé, Mamadou Traoré (aka “Le Roi”), Issa Kaou N’Djim, Imam Bandiougou, as well as activists from the Mouvement du Peuple Malien (MPM) and the Coordination of Movements, Associations and Supporters (CMAS).
In a message dated 4 July 2024, Mara wrote: “We undertake these visits regularly to express our solidarity. We also support their families, to ensure the flame of hope never dies out.”
He followed up with: “No matter how long the night, the sun will eventually rise. And we will fight by every means necessary to make sure it rises as soon as possible!”
Mara’s supporters and sympathizers gathered peacefully outside the BIJ and the court in large numbers throughout the day as the legal process unfolded.
The case is now in the hands of the public prosecutor of Commune 4, who will decide how to proceed with it.
According to the Malian Code of Criminal Procedure, possible outcomes include: dismissal of the case if the facts are deemed unsubstantial; direct summons to trial; placement under judicial supervision, requiring Mara to remain available to the justice system; or referral to an investigative judge, which could lead to pre-trial detention if justified by the case.
In similar cases classified as matters of “opinion,” the prevailing practice is conditional release while awaiting a possible trial.
MD/ac/sf/lb/as/APA