Mali: Ras Bath and “Rose, the high cost of living” sentenced to seven years in prison.
In Mali, the columnist Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, known as Ras Bath, and the influencer Rokia Doumbia, nicknamed “Rose, la vie chère,” were sentenced on August 17 to ten years in prison, three of which are suspended. Both were found guilty of “harming the credit of the State” and “criminal conspiracy,” charges challenged by their lawyers.
SUMMARY
The court imposed a ten-year sentence for each of the two defendants, with three years suspended, meaning seven years of firm imprisonment. At the announcement of the verdict, Ras Bath and Rokia Doumbia remained impassive. The defense, which has not yet indicated whether it will appeal, must now review possible legal actions.
A critical voice against the transitional authorities, Ras Bath had been detained for about three years. His trial began amid strong mobilization from his supporters. Upon arriving at the courthouse, the visibly weakened columnist raised his fist in front of supporters who were calling for his release.
The prosecution wanted to distance him from the media
During the hearings, the prosecution argued that the two defendants committed criminal conspiracy and harmed the credit of the State. The prosecutor requested ten years in prison, claiming that Ras Bath posed a danger to the authorities due to his speeches in the media and on social networks.
The defense rejected all the accusations. The lawyers notably challenged the validity of certain reports and denounced violations of the rights of the defense. During the debates, one of them accused the prosecution of presenting a procedure whose outcome seemed, in his view, already known.
The conviction comes after a highly publicized trial in Mali. The judgment does not specify, in the available information, the possible modalities for the enforcement of the firm part of the sentence nor the timeline within which an appeal could be made.
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