A Malian court granted provisional freedom on Thursday to 11 political opponents of the military junta, including former ministers and leaders of political parties. These individuals had been arrested in June on charges of plotting against the Mali junta after they signed a March declaration calling for the return to civilian rule. The declaration demanded that the military relinquish power, which it seized after coups in 2020 and 2021.
The group of 11, which included prominent political figures, was detained for holding an “illegal meeting” in Bamako, the capital, during a period when political party activities had been banned by the junta. This ban was imposed as part of the military’s increasing crackdown on dissent, following its rise to power. The junta lifted the ban in July, but many of its critics had already faced detention.
The released individuals were told by the prosecutor that their release was provisional, with no judicial supervision or travel restrictions, according to one of the freed critics. A judicial source confirmed that the provisional release had been granted.
The release comes as Mali faces a deepening political, security, and economic crisis, worsened by ongoing insurgency violence since 2012. The junta had previously promised to return power to civilians by March 2024 after a presidential election in February. However, it later reneged on this commitment, announcing that the election would be postponed indefinitely without providing a new date.
The political situation in Mali remains fragile, with growing opposition to the military’s extended rule and calls for elections to restore democratic governance.
