Mali’s judiciary has sentenced a French national with diplomatic status to 20 years in prison for undermining state security. The man, who has been detained in Bamako since August 2025, was found guilty of acts against the safety of the state, according to court officials.
The verdict was handed down on Thursday by the criminal chamber of the specialised counter-terrorism unit. In addition to the prison term, the defendant, identified as Yann V., was banned from entering Mali for 20 years and ordered to pay a fine of 5,400 euros.
Malian authorities say the individual was arrested on 13 August 2025 during an operation by State Security, the country’s intelligence service. Officially posted to the French embassy in Bamako, he was detained alongside several officers from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa).
The soldiers involved, who were discharged from the army after their arrest, are accused of taking part in an espionage network and conspiracy intended to destabilise Mali’s transitional institutions and prepare a coup attempt. Their trial has not yet taken place.
France has strongly rejected the accusations against its national. Reacting to the sentencing, the French foreign ministry described the charges as baseless, stating the agent was carrying out a security cooperation mission. Paris insists it has never been directly or indirectly involved in any effort to destabilise Mali.
The case had already caused serious diplomatic friction between the two countries. After the arrest, France suspended its counter-terrorism cooperation with Mali and ordered two Malian diplomats to leave its territory.
Since the military came to power following the coups of 2020 and 2021, relations between Bamako and Paris have sharply declined. Malian authorities have progressively reduced cooperation with Western partners, especially France, while strengthening political and security ties with Russia.
