Malian authorities arrested Youssouf Sissoko, editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper L’Alternance, after he criticized the leader of neighboring Niger, Human Rights Watch said Monday. HRW said Malian police arrested Sissoko at his home in Bamako on Feb. 5.
HRW said Sissoko was taken before a cybercrime unit prosecutor. In a statement, the group said the prosecutor charged him with offenses including spreading false information and insulting a foreign head of state, and ordered him held in pretrial custody.
HRW said the arrest followed an article published by L’Alternance on Feb. 2 that questioned accusations made by Niger’s military ruler, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchani. HRW said the Niger leader had alleged that the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast supported extremist groups involved in an attack last month on an airport in Niamey.
The report said the attack was claimed by the Islamic State Sahel Province. It also said Mali, alongside Niger and Burkina Faso, has been destabilized by coups in recent years, with military leaders taking power and pledging to improve security.
According to the report, Mali’s authorities and the governments that seized power across the region have tightened controls over dissent and media as the security crisis has deepened. The report said those measures include cutting ties with France and other Western powers and seeking military support from Russia, while analysts warn that extremist attacks have increased.
The report also said government forces in Mali and the region have been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants. Against that backdrop, it said the military leaders have cracked down on political dissent and journalists, including bans on certain media and the imprisonment of some opposition figures after they criticized the military regime.
In its statement, HRW called Sissoko’s detention arbitrary and said the authorities should release him immediately and drop all charges.