Malian lawmaker facing trial for insulting Ivory Coast president

ABIDJAN - A member of Mali's transitional parliament, arrested early July in neighbouring Ivory Coast for allegedly insulting Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, faces trial in a criminal court, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Mamadou Hawa Gassama is a member of the National Transitional Council (CNT), Mali's legislative body.

Gassama, who was arrested and subjected to a detention order on July 2 during a private stay in Ivory Coast, faces prosecution for "offending the head of state" and a second charge of "disseminating insulting expressions over the internet", his lawyer Mamadou Ismaila Konate said.

Diplomatic relations between Mali and Ivory Coast have been tense since twin coups of 2020 and 2021 which brought General Assimi Goita to power in Bamako.

Ouattara has always strongly opposed the coups which have shaken several countries in the Sahel region in recent years.

Konate said that the investigating judge in Gassama's case had Tuesday issued an order declaring there was sufficient evidence for him to be tried by the correctional court.

He faces a jail term of between three months and two years if found to have defamed the president, with a further term of up to five years for the second charge.

The trial date remains unknown.

In September 2022, Gassama criticised Ouattara during an interview with a Malian media outlet, after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed an economic and financial embargo on Mali to punish the double military coup.

Gassama, a 30-year veteran of Malian politics, notably referred to Ouattara as "an enemy of Mali" in the interview.

The politician is known for being outspoken and was an opposition lawmaker during the presidency of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita more than a decade ago.

After the military junta took power he was appointed to the CNT, which acts as a parliament.

Bamako authorities have yet to comment officially on his arrest.