A French national accused by Mali’s military-led authorities of involvement in an alleged plot to destabilise the country has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, a person familiar with the case said.
Yann Vezilier was convicted late on Thursday and is expected to serve the sentence in Mali, the person told Reuters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Mali’s government announced Vezilier’s arrest in August last year alongside two Malian generals, accusing him of working on behalf of French intelligence services to mobilise political figures, civil society actors and military officers against the government of Assimi Goita.
France rejected the allegations at the time, calling them unfounded and saying Vezilier’s detention violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Paris again denied the accusations after the sentencing.
“Our agent was carrying out a security cooperation mission and in no form was participating directly or indirectly in destabilising Mali,” France’s foreign ministry said.
French diplomatic sources said Paris was increasingly concerned about Vezilier’s health, which they said had been deteriorating.
Mali has faced more than a decade of insecurity linked to armed groups in the north and centre of the country, as well as political turmoil that led to military coups in 2020 and 2021. Goita came to power following the coups and has since overseen a sharp deterioration in relations with France, Mali’s former colonial ruler.
The breakdown in ties is part of a wider shift across the Sahel, where Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have all moved away from Paris in recent years.
Mali’s government and justice ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.