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BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Rights groups on Wednesday denounced the arrest of two prominent journalists in Mali in the past two days, the latest crackdown on freedom of expression by the West African country’s military leadership during a security crisis.The “Maison de La Presse,” the main press association in Mali, had said Tuesday that Abdramane Keita was arrested on charges of “undermining national unity and the credibility of the State” and “dissemination of false and misleading information.” Keita had said on his popular TV program “Grand Jury” that the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group controls the town of Kidal, a northern town that was seized by JNIM and separatists during major coordinated attacks in April.In Mali, public statements suggesting that the military is losing ground to jihadist groups often lead to charges.His arrest comes a day after the arrest of Chahana Takiou, a well-known television presenter and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “22 Septembre.” According to the same press association he was arrested Monday on charges of “undermining the credibility of the State through the judicial system.” Takiou had recently criticized the authorities’ application of a cybercrime law, claiming it represents an attack on press freedom.
