BAMAKO, Mali — Former Prime Minister Moussa Mara was taken into pretrial detention on August 1, 2025, after publicly expressing solidarity with jailed critics of Mali’s military junta, sources confirmed.
Mara’s arrest marks the latest move in a broad crackdown on dissent by Mali’s ruling military regime, following the country’s first pro-democracy rally since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago.
According to Abdoulaye Yaro, a close associate of Mara, the former PM was detained under orders from a cybercrime prosecutor for publicly supporting individuals imprisoned due to their political beliefs.
An anonymous cybercrime unit official revealed that Mara faces charges of “damaging the state’s credibility”, with his trial scheduled for September 29, 2025.
Mara’s lawyer, Mountaga Tall, stated on social media platform X that the charges include undermining state authority, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information. The defense team is contesting both the charges and his detention.
On July 4, Mara posted on X, saying he had visited jailed junta critics, adding, “As long as the night lasts, the sun will obviously appear! We will fight by all means for this to happen as soon as possible!”
Since two military coups in 2020 and 2021, General Assimi Goita has led Mali, a country in Africa’s Sahel region facing persistent political instability. Despite promises to restore civilian rule by March 2024, Goita was granted an additional five years in power in June, following the dissolution of political parties by the junta in May.
