Published on
05/06/2026 - 20:24 GMT+2
A court in Mali has handed a 20-year jail term to an official at the French embassy accused of being a spy and "undermining state security," judicial sources told the AFP news agency on Friday.
The sentence is a new blow to relations between the west African nation, ruled by a military junta since a 2021 coup, and former colonial ruler France.
Detained since his arrest in August 2025, the Frenchman was also hit on Thursday with a €5,400 fine and a 20-year ban on entering Mali, three separate court sources confirmed.
