Diplomacy – A French intelligence officer under diplomatic cover has been sentenced to 20 years in a Malian prison for allegedly compromising the country’s national security.

On Friday, Malian authorities convicted a French intelligence officer—held in Bamako for nearly ten months—of ‘threatening state security,’ a charge France has dismissed as unfounded and politically motivated.

The French national, detained since August 2025 and accused of plotting against Mali’s transitional institutions, received an additional 20-year entry ban and a €5,400 fine, according to judicial sources. His arrest coincided with the detention of several Malian military officers, all linked to a purported espionage network aimed at destabilizing the country’s leadership.

Closed-door trial concludes with harsh sentence

The case was heard Thursday by the criminal chamber of Mali’s counterterrorism and anti-espionage unit, with the verdict delivered Friday. Proceedings were conducted behind closed doors, as confirmed by multiple legal sources.

Under diplomatic cover at the French Embassy in Bamako, the officer was arrested alongside several Malian Armed Forces personnel, who have since been dismissed from service. None of these officers have yet faced trial, though they stand accused of orchestrating a conspiracy to overthrow Mali’s transitional government through espionage and destabilization tactics.

France condemns ‘baseless accusations’

French authorities have repeatedly rejected the allegations as arbitrary and lacking credible evidence. The case has further strained relations between Paris and Bamako, which have deteriorated since Mali’s military leadership distanced itself from former partners in the West.