The International Press Institute has raised the alarm over the growing use of cybercrime laws by Mali’s military authorities to target journalists and suppress critical reporting.

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The warning followed the imprisonment and prosecution of several Malian journalists over their reports, public comments and criticism of the authorities.

The IPI Africa Programme Lead, Nompilo Simanje, in a statement published on the IPI website on Thursday, said the development reflected a wider trend across Africa, where cybercrime provisions were increasingly being used against journalists.

“The escalating weaponisation of cybercrime provisions to target journalists is a deeply alarming trend that continues to intensify across Africa, including in Mali, Zambia and Nigeria, among others,” Simanje said.

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She said the development highlighted the need for countries to review cybercrime laws that could undermine freedom of expression.

“This trend shows the urgent need to repeal these provisions and ensure that cybercrime legislation is aligned with regional and international standards on freedom of expression,” she added.

The warning comes against the backdrop of a series of cases involving journalists in Mali.

The institute said Malian journalist and editor of 22 Septembre, Chahana Takiou, was sentenced on August 3 to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended, and fined for undermining the credibility of the state through the judicial system.

According to the IPI, Takiou had been arrested in June by the National Cybercrime Unit after criticising the use of cybercrime provisions to target journalists during remarks at the Pan-African Media Forum in Bamako.

The institute also reported that Abdrahamane Keita of Le Témoin was detained on June 9 over comments he made during a live media programme concerning the security situation in northern Mali.

📰 Source: Punch Nigeria