According to relatives of Mali’s late former prime minister, the country’s military administration has refused to hand over his body unless they agree not to pursue an autopsy.
On Wednesday, News Central reported that Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga died on March 21, 2022, at a Bamako hospital, after seven months in jail.
Former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was toppled in a coup in 2020, was Maiga’s boss. In August 2021, Maiga was arrested on charges of fraud.
While incarcerated, his health deteriorated, and his family constantly requested that he be freed for treatment. He’s been guarded in a Bamako clinic for the past three months.
On March 22, his brother Mohamed Boubèye Maiga told visitors at Maiga’s home in central Bamako that the military administration has refused to hand over his remains unless the family agrees not to conduct an autopsy.
He went on to say that Maiga’s family, friends, and lawyers had been denied access to him as his health deteriorated in recent months, thus no loved ones were present when he died.
Maiga’s killing has elicited public reactions from a number of Malian political groups, as well as the head of Mali’s UN mission and the president of neighbouring Niger.
Maiga’s death could have been a sort of political assassination, according to Sacko, hence an investigation is necessary.
According to Aguibou Bouare, the president of Mali’s National Human Rights Commission, which examines allegations of human rights violations, the commission was monitoring Maiga’s case but was denied access to the former prime minister while he was in hospital.