Ivory Coast court sentences Malian lawmaker to prison for insulting leader  

Mamadou Hawa Gassama, who took part in a protest in 2018, is known for his blunt speech and for openly expressing his views.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — A Malian lawmaker has been sentenced to three years in prison in neighboring Ivory Coast after being convicted of insulting the country’s 84-year-old president, who recently secured a fourth term in office, authorities said.

Mamadou Hawa Gassama, a member of Mali’s military-appointed transitional parliament, was arrested in July while visiting the Ivory Coast. Prosecutors said Gassama referred to President Alassane Ouattara as a “dictator” and an “enemy of Mali,” and sharply criticized his leadership in social media posts and media interviews.

Ivory Coast’s courts found Gassama guilty of publicly insulting the head of state, according to judicial sources. The sentence was handed down this week.

Relations between Mali and the Ivory Coast have deteriorated since Mali’s military seized power in a 2020 coup. Ouattara, a key ally of France, has been an outspoken critic of the Malian junta and of a series of military takeovers that have swept parts of West Africa.

Ivory Coast has not commented on whether Gassama will be deported to Mali after serving his sentence.

GAROWE ONLINE