Mali journalist acquitted over PM ‘assassination’ claim

Bamako, Mali (AFP):

A prominent Malian TV and radio journalist has been acquitted of charges that he falsely claimed a former premier had been murdered while in detention under the ruling junta.

Mohamed Youssouf Bathily was placed in custody on March 13 after allegedly saying former prime minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga had not died from natural causes while he was behind bars, but had been “assassinated”.

Maiga, a political heavyweight who served under Mali’s last elected president, died in jail in March 2022 after pleas from his family to be treated abroad for his deteriorating health were ignored.

Bathily, also known as Ras Bath, was acquitted of charges of “faking crimes… and inventing evidence for a non-existent crime,” his lawyer Kassoum Tapo said.

He remains in custody pending the outcome of other charges in the same case, namely criminal association, harming the reputation of the state and committing a crime “of a religious and racist nature”, Tapo said.

The examining magistrate overseeing the case has recently changed positions, the attorney said.

“We are going to wait for the new examining magistrate (to take office) and then very swiftly file a request for his release and acquittal,” Tapo said.

The public prosecutor has appealed against his acquittal on the first raft of charges, one of the prosecution teams told the media.

Maiga was prime minister from 2017 to 2019 under president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.