Supporters of a prominent Malian TV and radio journalist welcomed on Tuesday his acquittal of charges of “faking crimes… and inventing evidence for a non-existent crime.”
Outside Bamako’s District Court of Commune IV, they voiced their support for the journalist Mohamed Youssouf Bathily as his convoy passed. Bathily still has hurdles to overcome, says a leader of a local rights group.
“Unfortunately, there are two cases against him. The second case is in the chambers, the first chambers in Commune 4, which has not yet been executed or even started,” said Mamadou N. Fofana, the president of the Association Malienne d’Appui aux Justiciables (AMAJ).
“The judge who has a committal order against him, Judge Maïga, has been transferred. We’re waiting for his replacement. I would like to see him, so that we too can look at the case, see if we can get to the bottom of it and seek provisional release for Rasta.”
Bathily, also known as Ras Bath, was placed in custody on 13th March after allegedly saying former prime minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga did not die from natural causes while he was behind bars but had been “assassinated”.
Maiga served as Prime Minister under President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Keita was overthrown in August 2020 by army officers angered at his failure to curb a long-running jihadist insurgency that continues to this day.
“Logically, he had to remain, and he did, in prison because another warrant came from the chamber. Unfortunately, the chamber has also issued a committal order.”
The journalist’s lawyer said he was detained 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.”
One of the prosecution team announced that the public prosecutor has appealed against his acquittal on the first raft of charges.
