Trial opens for ex-Mali PM jailed by military rulers over ‘solidarity’ post

Former Mali’s military rulers are currently imprisoning former prime minister Moussa Mara in court for making an online gesture of solidarity with political prisoners.

No verdict has yet been made, according to local media reports, but the trial began on Monday at Mali’s special national cybercrime court unit in Bamako, which is located in the country’s capital.

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The case has two parts, the lawyer for the politician’s lawyer, Mountaga Tall, who stated in a post on X that the case has two parts: the initial request to release Mara from jail and the overall case on the merits. He also pointed out that public hearings are held.

The former prime minister posted “unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience” on X on July 4th, citing “unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.”

Mara named several political prisoners who he visited, and declared, “The sun will obviously appear as long as the night lasts,” while adding, “We will fight by all means to get this to happen as soon as possible.”

The West African military authorities were prompted by the online post, according to his attorney, to press charges against him through a cybercrime prosecutor who placed the arrest warrant.

The charges include spreading false information, challenging the state’s authority, and challenging its credibility and legitimacy.

General Assimi Goita, who swore re-instauration in June 2021 after orchestrating two coups in two years, is in charge of Mali’s military.

He was given a five-year, election-free, presidential term by the military-appointed parliament in July 2025. Elections are postponed indefinitely because of the law’s signature in the same month, according to Goita.

In May 2025, he changed the transition charter to extend his rule and dissolve political parties.

Two Malian army generals and a alleged French secret agent were among the group of servicemen and civilians detained in August by military authorities for allegedly trying to destabilize the nation.

Mali, a landlocked country in the semi-arid Sahel region of West Africa’s southern Sahara Desert, has suffered greatly from the instability that has swept West and Central Africa under the last ten years.

In January 2024, Mali and Burkinabe formed the Alliance of Sahel States, which are also governed by military-style coup-organizations, after leaving the regional bloc ECOWAS&nbsp.

The trio made a statement last week that they were leaving the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has the authority to impose arrest warrants on all member states.