Mali jails junta-critic broadcaster, influencer for seven years

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Bamako, Mali: A Malian court on Monday sentenced a prominent broadcaster and an influencer to seven years in prison after both had criticized the country's ruling junta.

The court convicted television and radio commentator Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, popularly known by the alias ‘Ras Bath,’ during the legal proceedings in Bamako.

Sentenced alongside him was Rokia Doumbia, a noted campaigner who is widely recognized online under the name ‘Rose, the cost of living’.

In proceedings witnessed by an AFP journalist, the court in Bamako officially found both figures guilty of criminal conspiracy and discrediting the state.

The seven-year prison terms handed down by the court directly penalize both commentators following their public criticism directed at the junta.