Mali Ex-PM Moussa Mara Arrested Supporting Jailed Critics Amid Military Crackdown

Moussa Mara, Mali’s former prime minister, was arrested and placed in pretrial detention after expressing support for political detainees held by the country’s military junta. The charges against him include undermining state authority, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information, stemming from a social media post where he shared his visit to jailed critics and vowed to fight for justice. His lawyers denounce the charges as politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on dissent by the military rulers under Gen. Assimi Goita, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021. Despite promises to restore civilian rule by March 2024, the junta recently dissolved political parties and extended Goita’s rule by five years. Mara’s arrest follows Mali's first pro-democracy rally in years and highlights ongoing political repression amid the country’s instability in the Sahel region. His trial is scheduled for September 29, 2025.