A number of United Nations (UN) experts have called the military regime of Mali to immediately free Malian anti-corruption activist, Clement Dembele.
Dembele has been in jail since November 2023.
An academic and anti-corruption activist, Dembele had been accused of issuing death threats against Mali’s military leader, General Assimi Goita.
The accusation against him was based on an audio message shared on social media, where he was said to be making threats.
An independent forensic expert, tasked with authenticating the recording, concluded that the voice was definitively not that of Dembele.
A judge from Mali’s National Cybercrime Unit subsequently dismissed the case, prompting prosecutors to quickly issue an appeal.
And according to the UN experts, Dembele’s case reflects a persistent and escalating pattern of human rights violations against critics in Mali.
A court order authorizing Dembele’s release was officially issued, but the UN experts stated he still remains in jail.
The experts added that his continued detention may amount to a clear misuse of the judicial system by the government.
Mali’s military rulers, in power since coups in 2020 and 2021, have ramped up their pressure on all critics.
Source:Africa Publicity
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