UN experts pressure Mali to release civil society activist News
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UN experts pressure Mali to release civil society activist

UN experts on Monday called for the immediate and unconditional release of a Malian civil society activist who has been detained since November 2023 despite a court issuing an order for his release.

Clément Mamadou Dembélé was originally jailed for allegedly making death threats against the transitional president and his family. In April, a court order dropped all charges against Dembélé, with the investigating judge ruling that the case lacked sufficient evidence against him.

Experts claimed political contentiousness has resulted in the deprivation of Dembélé’s rights, stating:

This case appears to be politically motivated, as Mr. Dembélé is not being released despite a court order dismissing the case against him for lack of evidence. His prosecution and continued detention could amount to instrumentalisation of the legal system by the Government.

Central to this is Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects individuals’ right to liberty and security, while prohibiting arbitrary arrest and detention. Further, Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.

The experts noted that the “case reflects the persistent and escalating pattern of human rights violations against members of opposition political parties, civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders in Mali.”

This comes after UN experts condemned the enforced disappearance and apparent summary executions of around 100 individuals in Mali in May. Human Rights Watch has urged the government of Mali to investigate the apparent extrajudicial executions of 22 men who were detained by the army in the town of Diafarabé in the same month. Additionally, this comes after the UN high commissioner for human rights denounced Mali’s sweeping ban on political parties.

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