Mali journalist Chahana Takiou faces trial over cybercrime charges

Malian journalist Chahana Takiou, director of the newspaper 22 Septembre, will be tried on 27 July before the specialized cyber‑crime court. He has been detained for almost two months on accusations of “attacking the credit of the State through the judicial institution”. Takiou, who suffers from diabetes and cardiovascular problems, says his faith and daily reading of the Quran help him endure the imprisonment. His family and friends have visited him regularly, noting his high morale.

Takiou and other journalists accuse Mali’s magistrates of ignoring the press law and using the cyber‑crime code to silence media workers. After his arrest, the Mali Press House condemned the case as a “flagrant attack on freedom of opinion and the press”. A second journalist, Abdrahamane Keïta, was detained a day after Takiou’s arrest, highlighting broader concerns over press freedom in the country.