Malian court sentences french national to 20 years for alleged state plot
Mali: a French national sentenced to 20 years for an alleged plot against the state
A Malian judicial body has handed down a 20-year criminal sentence to French national Yann Vezilier for his alleged involvement in a scheme to destabilize the government led by General Assimi Goïta.
- Justice
Following the pronouncement of the judgment, the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs reiterated on Friday that the French diplomatic agent, sentenced to two decades in prison in Mali for “undermining state security,” is facing “unfounded accusations.” The Quai d’Orsay affirmed that “Our agent is subject to legal proceedings involving baseless allegations,” maintaining the position held since the August 2025 arrest of this French national, who was working at the French embassy in Bamako. “Our agent was carrying out a security cooperation mission, and under no circumstances has France participated, directly or indirectly, in the destabilization of Mali,” the ministry stated.
The French national, taken into custody in August 2025 on charges of conspiracy against state institutions, was also issued a 20-year ban from residing in Mali and ordered to pay a fine of 5,400 euros. The trial took place on Thursday before the criminal chamber of the specialized anti-terrorism court, with the verdict announced on Friday.
Accused of conspiracy
Yann Vezilier was apprehended on August 13, 2025, during an operation conducted by the State Security (SE), Mali’s intelligence services. Though officially assigned to the French embassy in Bamako, the French officer was arrested alongside several officers from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). These Malian officers, who have since been dismissed from service, have not yet faced trial. They stand accused of establishing an espionage network and plotting to destabilize Mali’s transitional institutions with the aim of orchestrating a coup d’état. Confronted with a profound security crisis since 2012, fueled by violence from jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (EI), as well as communal criminal organizations, Mali is currently governed by a military junta that seized power through two coups in 2020 and 2021. Since then, the authorities in Bamako have distanced themselves from their Western allies, particularly former colonial power France, opting instead for political and military alignment with Russia.