A former Mali prime minister goes to prison for expressing solidarity with critics of military junta

BAMAKO Mali AP A Mali court on Monday sentenced to prison a former prime minister who publicly expressed solidarity with jailed critics of the military junta Moussa Mara faces two years in prison after being convicted on charges of undermining state authority and inciting populace disorder His sentence is the latest in a crackdown by Mali s military rulers that rights activists say targets critics and opposition leaders Mara also must pay a fine of CFA francs explained his lawyer Mountaga Tall who added that they will appeal Mara will serve one year without parole and another year suspended a close associate Abdoulaye Yaro recounted The Associated Press As long as the night lasts the sun will obviously appear We will fight by all means for this to happen as soon as feasible the former prime minister revealed on social media in July after visiting jailed critics of the junta Since the country s the majority latest coup in Gen Assimi Goita has sought to consolidate his grip on power In June Goita was granted an additional five years in power despite earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by The military regime has also dissolved political parties Mali a landlocked nation in Africa s semiarid Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara desert has been embroiled in the political instability that has swept across West and Central Africa over the last decade Source