Mali: Arbitrarily Detained Author Must Be Released

Over the past years, the shrinking of civic space in Mali has been characterized by violations of freedom of expression, including press freedom and the right to information, as well as freedom of association. Mali has been governed since 2021 by military officers who took control from the democratically elected government of President Keita in 2020 following protests, and then removed the civilian transitional authorities from power in May 2021, following disagreements.

Freedom of expression is threatened by Law N°2019-056 pertaining to punishment of cybercrime. Articles 20 and 21 of this law punish the authors of “threats” or insults” (without the elements constituting these offences being defined) to sentences going from 6 months to 10 years of imprisonment, and/or fines from one to XOF 10 million. Opposition leaders, activists and human rights defenders who publicly expressed their disagreement with the decisions taken by the transitional authorities have been arbitrarily arrested, detained, and prosecuted since 2022.

This is not the first time Professor Etienne Fakaba Sissoko has been targeted by the authorities. On 16 January 2022, he was arrested by the prosecutorial office of the District Court of Commune 4 of Bamako for comments tending toward ‘’stigmatization or regionalist, ethnic or religious discrimination with the aim of pitting citizens against each other using ICTs," after he spoke on TV about the impact of ECOWAS sanctions in Mali. He was provisionally released in June 2022, and forbidden from leaving the country.

In January 2023, Aminata Dicko, a human rights defender, was forced into exile after denouncing abuses by the armed forces in a briefing to the UN Security Council, following which the gendarmerie summoned her for questioning in connection with allegations of high treason and defamation.

On 10 April 2024, the Council of Ministers issued a decree suspending the activities of political parties and associations” until further notice. A day after, Mali's high authority for communication issued a notice announcing a ban on reporting and broadcasting activities of political parties or association.

Since February 2024, at least three organisations have been dissolved including the Pupils and Students’ Association of Mali.