A Malian journalist, Youssouf Sissoko, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the country’s national cybercrime court over a commentary critical of Niger’s leader. The Committee to Protect Journalists described the sentence as an escalation in Mali’s crackdown on independent media.

Mr Sissoko, editor of the newspaper L’Alternance, was also fined one million West African francs (about $1,759) after being found guilty of offending a foreign head of state, spreading false information, and undermining state credibility.

The ruling was delivered on Monday in Bamako, weeks after Mr Sissoko was arrested at his home on February 5, following the publication of an article on the security situation in neighbouring Niger.

The article criticised claims by Niger’s President Abdourahamane Tiani, who alleged that leaders of France, Benin, and Ivory Coast backed “mercenaries” responsible for an attack on a Nigerien military base in January.

Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative, said the severity of the sentence meted out to Mr Sissoko marked an escalation in the Malian government’s hostility toward independent voices.

“Malian authorities must immediately release Youssouf Sissoko and respect the right of the press to comment on regional security issues,” said Mr Moussa.

Similarly, Boubacar Yalkoué, president of the Association of Private Press Publishers of Mali, warned that the judgment sets a dangerous precedent that could further weaken already struggling media organisations.

Media restrictions have tightened in Mali since the 2020 Malian coup d’état. Authorities have arrested journalists, suspended outlets, and expelled foreign media.

Mali, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, has since formed the Alliance of Sahel States to combat jihadist threats, while also increasing control over the press, including banning several French media organisations and taking punitive actions against journalists.