Mali’s former Prime Minister, Moussa Mara, has been formally charged with “undermining the credibility of the state” and “spreading false information” following a social media post in which he expressed support for jailed government critics.
His lawyer confirmed on Friday that the trial has been scheduled for September 29. The charges were filed shortly after Mara was questioned by Mali’s judicial cybercrimes unit. He had been summoned multiple times throughout July for interrogation over the controversial post.
Mara, who briefly served as prime minister in 2015, has remained an outspoken critic of the ruling military government.
His case is the latest in a growing pattern of repression under the junta, which seized power in 2020.
Since then, the military-led government has dissolved political parties, detained opposition figures, and cracked down on dissent—moves that have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations.
These groups warn that Mali’s democratic space is rapidly shrinking, with the government facing backlash over its handling of the Islamist insurgency, postponement of elections, and deteriorating rights record.
Mara’s prosecution is widely seen as part of a broader campaign to silence political opposition and stifle free expression in the West African country.
