Mali’s former Prime Minister Moussa Mara has been sentenced by the high court to two years in prison—one year to be served and one year suspended.
He was charged with undermining the reputation of the state and opposing legitimate authority.
The verdict, handed down on Monday, follows his public criticism of the government on social media.
The judgment was issued by the High Court of Commune IV in Bamako on October 27, 2025, marking the conclusion of the first-instance proceedings against the former head of government.
Mr. Mara, who served as PM under the presidency of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta between 2014 and 2015, was taken into custody on August 1, 2025, following his formal indictment by the National Cybercrime Unit.
The charges stemmed from a series of posts on the social platform X in which he voiced support for, and reported visiting, detained political and civil society figures.
Requests for his provisional release, filed by his legal team led by attorney Mountaga Tall, were rejected throughout the investigation. Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison sentence. The court ultimately upheld that request, sentencing him to one year in prison and another year suspended.
The verdict was delivered by Mali’s judiciary under the country’s ruling military junta.
Mr. Mara’s defense team retains the right to appeal the decision within the legal timeframe.
MD/ac/lb/as/APA