Mali Court Jails Broadcaster 'Ras Bath' and Activist Rokia Doumbia for 7 Years Over 2023 Economic Criticism Broadcast

The Bamako Court of Appeal's criminal chamber sentenced prominent radio and TV commentator Mohamed Youssouf Bathily — known as 'Ras Bath' — and campaigner Rokia Doumbia (known online as 'Rose, the cost of living') to seven years in prison plus three additional suspended years on August 17, 2026, convicting both of criminal conspiracy and 'discrediting the state.' The charges stemmed from a 2023 broadcast in which Ras Bath invited Doumbia onto his program to discuss the economic difficulties facing ordinary Malians. Both had been held in custody since March 2023; their trial opened August 10, 2026, and observers described Ras Bath's 'emaciated and gaunt' appearance on the stand. The prosecutor argued Ras Bath 'is a danger' to the junta who 'must be kept a long way from social media and the radio.' The sentences are the latest in a series of prosecutions of junta critics under Mali's military government, led by General Assimi Goita since the 2020-2021 coups.