A former Malian lawmaker, Mahamadou Gassama, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a court in Côte d’Ivoire for insulting President Alassane Ouattara.
The judgment was delivered on Friday by the Abidjan-Plateau Court of First Instance. The court also imposed a fine of five million CFA francs and ordered a three-year ban on Gassama’s residence in Côte d’Ivoire.
Gassama previously served in Mali’s National Transitional Council (CNT). Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison sentence during a hearing held on January 9, 2026, but the court opted for a reduced three-year term.
The case dates back to 2024, when Gassama was arrested by Côte d’Ivoire’s Directorate for Territorial Surveillance while transiting through the country. He was charged with insulting the head of state and undermining state institutions.
According to prosecutors, the charges stem from a viral video circulated on social media in which Gassama questioned President Ouattara’s nationality and described him as a destabilising force and an enemy of Mali.
Reacting to the verdict, the defence expressed disappointment. Gassama’s lawyer, Me Ismaïla Konaté, described the ruling as excessive and disproportionately harsh, noting that his client had already spent six months in detention. The defence had argued for a six-month sentence, which would have resulted in Gassama’s immediate release.
Me Konaté said the legal team would review the judgment before deciding whether to lodge an appeal, adding that legal avenues remain available to challenge the ruling.
As of the time of filing this report, the Malian government had not issued an official statement.
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