In Mali, a columnist and an influencer critical of the junta received heavy prison sentences.

The famous Malian columnist Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, alias Ras Bath, and the influencer Rokia Doumbia, critical voices of the junta who have been in detention for several years, were each sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison, three of which were suspended, by a court in Bamako.

A radio and television presenter, Ras Bath is also a well-known figure in Malian civil society. He was on trial alongside Rokia Doumbia, known as "Rose, la vie chère" (Rose, the expensive life), a social media influencer and activist against the high cost of living.

They were convicted of "criminal association" and "undermining the credit of the State" following a Ras Bath broadcast in 2023 devoted to rising prices and the economic difficulties of Malians.

Detained since March 2023 in Mali - a country ruled by a junta since two successive coups in 2020 and 2021 - Ras Bath's thinness, drawn features, and closed face shocked many Malians when he appeared at his trial, which opened on August 10 before the criminal chamber of the Bamako Court of Appeal.

Ras Bath is the son of former minister Mohamed Aly Bathily and the spokesperson for the Collective for the Defense of the Republic (CDR).

During the trial, the court sought to demonstrate that the columnist, who had twice invited "Rose, la vie chère" (Rose, the expensive life) to appear on previous programs, was "in association" with her. The court presented WhatsApp exchanges between the defendants.

Ras Bath's lawyers denied these accusations.

"Keep him away"

During the trial, the prosecutor stated that "Ras Bath is a danger to the transition," two lawyers told AFP on condition of anonymity. "He must be kept away from social media and radio," the prosecutor continued.

Widely followed by young people, Ras Bath had notably become known through his programs "Cartes sur table" and "Le Grand dossier", giving a voice to the marginalized of society and denouncing the social and political problems affecting Malians.

His direct approach, summarized by the phrase "Shock to educate", has earned him a large audience in the past, but also several legal troubles.

First arrested in Mali in August 2016 for "inciting troops to disobey", Ras Bath was released two days later under pressure from his supporters.

In July 2017, while abroad, he was sentenced in his absence to twelve months in prison without serving any time.

He had also participated in the 2020 M5-RFP protest movement against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.

In December 2020, he was arrested again in a case involving an alleged plot against the transitional government. The proceedings were dismissed for lack of evidence, and he was released in April 2021.

Before his indictment in the case in which he was convicted on Monday, Ras Bath had already been in prison since March 2023 for claiming that former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, who died in custody, had been "assassinated".

Since coming to power, the military has imposed severe restrictions on freedoms in Mali, silencing the opposition and dissenting voices through coercive measures, legal proceedings, and the dissolution of political parties.

The junta, led by General Assimi Goïta, failed to keep its promise to hand power back to civilians by March 2024 at the latest.

Mali occupies 121st place out of 180 countries in RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index.

This Sahelian country has been facing a deep security crisis since 2012, fueled in particular by violence from jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS), as well as community criminal groups and separatists.

AFP