Mali’s military leader Assimi Goita has pardoned a French national who was sentenced to 20 years in prison over accusations that he took part in a plot to destabilise the country, according to an official statement issued Thursday.
Yann Vezilier was convicted in June after Malian authorities accused him of involvement in an alleged destabilisation operation carried out on behalf of French intelligence services.
France has rejected the accusations, saying Vezilier had been in Mali as part of a security cooperation mission. The French foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the pardon.
The Malian government said the decision would not overturn or cast doubt on the findings of the court that convicted Vezilier.
“The Transitional Government emphasises that Mr. Vezilier was tried and convicted following a fair trial, without any interference,” the government said in a statement signed by its spokesperson.
Under the terms of the pardon, Vezilier must leave Mali immediately.
The case comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Bamako and Paris following military takeovers across parts of West Africa’s Sahel region.
Mali severed longstanding military ties with France after Goita and other military officers consolidated power, while neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger have also pushed French forces out.
France subsequently withdrew troops that had been deployed across the Sahel as part of operations against armed groups.
Mali has increasingly turned to Russia for military and security cooperation as its relationship with France has deteriorated.
The pardon also comes as Mali faces renewed pressure from armed groups linked to al Qaeda. Militants have made significant gains during 2026 and carried out coordinated attacks across the country in April, including an assault on the main airport that also resulted in the death of Mali’s defence minister.