Former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara has appeared in court in Bamako as judges rejected his bail application for his release on bail. The prosecution instead sought a two-year prison sentence, an action encapsulating the military junta’s crackdown on political opposition and dissent.

Mara, who served briefly between 2014 and 2015, was arrested on August 1 after posting a message on social media expressing solidarity with political prisoners. He was charged with undermining state credibility, opposing authority, inciting disorder, and spreading false information, with a ruling expected on October 27. His lawyers argued the charges violated free expression and set a dangerous precedent.

Since taking power in a 2021 coup, the military junta led by General Assimi Goita has cracked down on the political opposition and civic and media space in Mali, banning all political parties and intimidating, jailing, and forcibly disappearing journalists and rights activists. General Goita has consolidated power without elections, delaying the return to democratic civilian rule.