Malian journalists face escalating criminal prosecutions tied to cybercrime rules, the International Press Institute warned, exposing the country’s press to repeated detention and trials. The IPI Africa Programme Lead, Nompilo Simanje, said the pattern in Mali reflects a wider move across parts of the continent. “The escalating weaponisation of cybercrime provisions to target journalists is a deeply alarming trend that continues to intensify across Africa, including in Mali, Zambia and Nigeria, among others,” Simanje said.
IPI documented a string of recent cases as evidence. Chahana Takiou, editor of 22 Septembre, was sentenced on August 3 to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended, and fined for undermining the credibility of the state through the judicial system. Takiou had been arrested in June by the National Cybercrime Unit after she criticised the use of cybercrime provisions to target journalists during remarks at the Pan-African Media Forum in Bamako.
Abdrahamane Keita of Le Témoin was detained on June 9 and charged with undermining national unity, undermining the credibility of the state and disseminating false and misleading information over comments made during a live programme. His trial, initially set for August 17, was postponed to August 31. The trial of radio and television commentator Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, known as Ras Bath, began on August 10. IPI says Bathily faces charges of criminal association and undermining the credibility of the state through information and communication technologies, and that he has been in detention since his arrest in March 2023 after public comments about the death in custody of former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga.
The institute said Mali amended its Penal Code in December 2024 to fold in provisions from the 2019 cybercrime law and that a specialised unit, the Pôle national de lutte contre la cybercriminalité, has been established to enforce offences involving digital and telecommunications technologies. IPI described prolonged detention and successive prosecutions as part of a broader strategy to silence critical voices.
Simanje urged immediate remedies. “This trend shows the urgent need to repeal these provisions and ensure that cybercrime legislation is aligned with regional and international standards on freedom of expression,” she added. “We call on authorities in Mali to release all journalists imprisoned in connection with their work, and to end the misuse of criminal and cybercrime provisions to suppress critical reporting,” she said.
Press defence leaders in Bamako echoed the demand for legal protections for reporters. Dante Bandiangou, president of Maison de la Presse, told the IPI the country needs laws that safeguard journalism. “We want a healthy media environment with legislation that protects journalists in the exercise of their profession. The expansion of digital technology must be an opportunity and not an obstacle to the thriving of press freedom,” Bandiangou said.
The immediate outlook is continued legal pressure on independent media as trials proceed and authorities maintain the new legal framework. The IPI’s warnings set the stage for advocacy and regional scrutiny aimed at forcing legal reviews or reversals of the contested provisions.
