Mali junta pardons French agent jailed for 'undermining state security'
Mali's junta leader General Assimi Goïta has pardoned a French intelligence agent serving a 20-year prison sentence, a rare conciliatory move after years of strained relations between the west African nation and its former colonial ruler.
Mali's junta leader, General Assimi Goïta, has pardoned a French intelligence agent who was serving a 20-year prison sentence. The agent, Yann Vezilier, was accused of trying to destabilise Goïta's government on behalf of the French intelligence service. According to MyJoyOnline Ghana, Vezilier was sentenced a year ago alongside army generals and dozens of soldiers.
The Malian government announced the pardon on Thursday, stating that it did not call into question the facts established by the trial. The government also said that Vezilier would be immediately removed from the national territory.
The pardon comes after years of strained relations between Mali, a former French colony, and France. MyJoyOnline Ghana reported that France's foreign ministry previously said accusations against Vezilier were "unfounded". RFI English described the pardon as a rare conciliatory move.
Brief written by urgent.news from RFI English, MyJoyOnline Ghana — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
