Former Prime Minister Jailed in Military-Ruled Mali Over Social Media Post.
In a shocking verdict, a court in Bamako, the capital of Mali, has sentenced former prime minister Moussa Mara to one year in prison without parole over a social media post expressing solidarity with political prisoners in the country. The verdict is widely seen as a travesty of justice by human rights organizations.
Mara was led the government for eight months from 2014 to 2015 and was known for his outspoken views on politics. His recent arrest came after he published a message on X stating that "as long as the night lasts, the sun will obviously appear!" - and declaring his unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.
The court found Mara guilty of undermining the credibility of the state and opposing legitimate authority. Mara's lawyers have filed an appeal against what they described as a harsh decision, but it remains to be seen how the case will unfold in the coming days.
Mali is currently ruled by a military government led by General Assimi Goita, which has been criticized for its authoritarian practices and escalation of repression against peaceful dissent. Despite promises of returning to civilian rule, elections have been postponed indefinitely, and political parties have been dissolved.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned Mara's sentencing as a "travesty of justice." They called on the military government to immediately release those detained solely for voicing their opinion, and to stop escalating repression against peaceful dissent.
In a shocking verdict, a court in Bamako, the capital of Mali, has sentenced former prime minister Moussa Mara to one year in prison without parole over a social media post expressing solidarity with political prisoners in the country. The verdict is widely seen as a travesty of justice by human rights organizations.
Mara was led the government for eight months from 2014 to 2015 and was known for his outspoken views on politics. His recent arrest came after he published a message on X stating that "as long as the night lasts, the sun will obviously appear!" - and declaring his unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.
The court found Mara guilty of undermining the credibility of the state and opposing legitimate authority. Mara's lawyers have filed an appeal against what they described as a harsh decision, but it remains to be seen how the case will unfold in the coming days.
Mali is currently ruled by a military government led by General Assimi Goita, which has been criticized for its authoritarian practices and escalation of repression against peaceful dissent. Despite promises of returning to civilian rule, elections have been postponed indefinitely, and political parties have been dissolved.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned Mara's sentencing as a "travesty of justice." They called on the military government to immediately release those detained solely for voicing their opinion, and to stop escalating repression against peaceful dissent.
this is so wrong - a guy who used his voice to support others in a time when they need it most gets locked up! it's like they're trying to snuff out any hope of change 
Moussa Mara was a brave one for speaking out, and now he's paying the price 
what's really going on in Mali is a travesty - the military government needs to respect people's right to free speech and peaceful protest 
The verdict is a slap in the face to freedom of speech, and Mali needs this kind of wake-up call. Eight months at the helm didn't make Mara a threat to national security; just speaking out against injustice does 
. It's time for the military government to stop intimidating opposition voices and start listening 
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. A year in prison without parole is crazy! Like, what even is the point of social media if you can get locked up for expressing solidarity with prisoners? 
And it’s not like Moussa Mara was being super harsh or anything – he was just saying that as long as people keep fighting for justice, there will always be hope 
. It’s so unfair that human rights groups have to step in and call out the military government for this blatant disregard for free speech. Can’t they just let people express their opinions without throwing them in jail? 
it's so good! anyway, back to Mali... i mean, i feel bad for mara, but at the same time, i'm all about free speech and stuff. can't just silence people for expressing their opinions, right? even if it's a bit dramatic with the whole "as long as the night lasts" thing lol. seriously though, it's crazy how sensitive governments can get when it comes to criticism... maybe mara should just stick to his day job and not mess around on social media 
. I mean, I know he made a post on social media that some people might interpret as provocative, but come on, it's not like he was asking for the military to overthrow itself 
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. And can you even imagine how scary it must be for anyone in Mali who speaks out against the government? It's like, totally chilling to think that one wrong tweet could land you in prison 
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. Anyway, I hope Mara gets released soon and can focus on his life again 
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i mean mara was just trying to show support for others who are being held captive and now he's facing time in prison?! 
it just doesnt add up. the military government needs to take a seat and stop using social media posts as a reason to jail people 
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. And it's not like Mara said anything that was really incendiary or threatening – he was just stating his support for peaceful dissent. It's outrageous.
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