Malian Authority Arrest Columnist and Radio Host Mohamed Youssouf Bathily

The columnist and radio host, Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, popularly known as “Ras Bath”, is due to appear before the High Court of Bamako on June 13, 2023. The journalist, who was arrested on March 13, 2023, is accused of “criminal simulation and disturbing public order”.

Bath was picked up at his house by security agents and subjected to intense interrogation. He was subsequently taken to the High Court of Bamako which placed him under a detention order. The arrest and detention of the journalist are allegedly linked to comments he made at a national conference of the Patriotic Alliance for Solidarity Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces (ASMA-CFP), the political party of Mali’s late former prime minister, Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga who died in detention in 2022.

The journalist, who is also the spokesperson for the Collectif pour la défense de la République (Collective for the Defence of the Republic, CDR), a political pressure group, alleged that the ex-Prime Minister Maiga did not simply die in detention, but was left to die.