A French intelligence officer with diplomatic status, detained for nearly 10 months in Bamako, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for “undermining state security.” Paris swiftly denounced the ruling as based on “baseless accusations.”

On Friday, a Malian court handed down the sentence to the agent, who was arrested in August 2025. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a 20-year ban from entering Mali and a fine of 5,400 euros, according to three separate judicial sources.

The trial took place on Thursday behind closed doors before the criminal chamber of the special counterterrorism unit, with the verdict announced the following day.

Closed-door trial and espionage allegations

The suspect, identified as Yann V., was apprehended on August 13, 2025, during an operation by Mali’s State Security (SE) intelligence services. Officially assigned to the French embassy in Bamako, he was arrested alongside several officers from the Malian armed forces (FAMa).

Those officers have since been dismissed but have not yet faced trial. They are accused of establishing an espionage and conspiracy network aimed at destabilising Mali’s transitional institutions in preparation for a coup d’état.

Paris rejects accusations as groundless

The French foreign ministry immediately rejected the charges, calling them “baseless.” The ministry had previously demanded the officer’s immediate release, arguing that his diplomatic status should have granted him immunity.

Relations between Mali and France have been severely strained since the junta took power, with Bamako moving closer to Russia and expelling French troops. This latest case further deepens the rift between the two nations.