Mali sentences broadcaster and influencer to seven years in prison

A court in Bamako has sentenced prominent broadcaster Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, known as Ras Bath, and social media influencer Rokia Doumbia, known as ‘Rose, the cost of living’, to seven years in prison. The sentence includes three years suspended.

Both individuals were convicted of criminal conspiracy and discrediting the state following a 2023 broadcast by Bathily that addressed the economic hardships and rising cost of living facing Malians. Prosecutors argued that the two were working in association, citing WhatsApp exchanges as evidence.

Bathily, a spokesperson for the Collectif pour la défense de la République (CDR), has been in custody since March 2023. During the trial, lawyers noted that the prosecutor characterized Bathily as a ‘danger’ to the ruling military junta and argued he must be kept away from radio and social media. The sentences come amid increasing restrictions on freedoms under Mali's military government, which took power following coups in 2020 and 2021.