THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

In Mali, 2 more journalists arrested under cybercrime law for ... Dakar, June 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malian authorities to release two prominent journalists imprisoned last week for criticizing the country’s embattled military government over its press freedom record and losses to insurgents. “Malian authorities must stop their frenzied arrests of journalists, drop the charges against Abdrahamane Keïta and Chahana Takiou, and release them, as well as fellow journalist Youssouf Sissoko ,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. “It is ironic that Malian authorities used the cybercrime law to arrest Chahana Takiou for speaking out about its misuse against the press. They have only proven that his comments were 100% accurate.” The cybercrime unit was set up in 2022 and given the power to use eight legal texts to prosecute online offenses. The vague wording of the 2019 cybercrimes law eliminates the protection that journalists had under the 2000 press law with lighter sentences. Instead, they can be subject to the same weighty penalties as ordinary citizens. On June 8, the National Cybercrime Unit ordered the arrest of Chahana Takiou,…

In Mali, 2 more journalists arrested under cybercrime law for ... Share this: Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Dakar, June 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malian authorities to release two prominent journalists imprisoned last week for criticizing the country’s embattled military government over its press freedom record and losses to insurgents. “Malian authorities must stop their frenzied arrests of journalists, drop the charges against Abdrahamane Keïta and Chahana Takiou, and release them, as well as fellow journalist Youssouf Sissoko ,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. “It is ironic that Malian authorities used the cybercrime law to arrest Chahana Takiou for speaking out about its misuse against the press. They have only proven that his comments were 100% accurate.” The cybercrime unit was set up in 2022 and given the power to use eight legal texts to prosecute online offenses. The va…

Mali bans local broadcasts by leading French radio and TV news ... - RSF Mali bans local broadcasts by leading French radio and TV news outlets Siège de RFI et de France 24 à Issy-les-Moulineaux. Organisation: RSF_en Partager facebook twitter linkedin Email The announcement by Mali’s military junta that it plans to suspend local radio and TV news broadcasts by Radio France Internationale (RFI) and France 24 for reporting abuses by the Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies constitutes an attack on press freedom that will hurt the Malian public and all journalists and media in Mali, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says. Journalists in Mali have been warned. Reporting that annoys Mali’s military government will result in threats, expulsions and broadcasting bans . In a communiqué signed by Col. Abdoulaye Maïga, the minister for territorial administration and decentralisation, the junta said it was suspending RFI and France 24 following a report that RFI broadcast in two parts on 14 and 15 March about summary executions and looting by Malian soldiers and the Russian security personnel now accompanying them on their operations against terrorists in Mali. The abuses were widely s…

In Mali, 2 More Journalists Arrested Under Cybercrime Law For ... Dakar, June 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malian authorities to release two prominent journalistsimprisonedlast week for criticizing the country’s embattled military government over its press freedom record and losses to insurgents. “Malian authorities must stop their frenzied arrests of journalists, drop the charges against Abdrahamane Keïta and Chahana Takiou, and release them, as well as fellow journalistYoussouf Sissoko,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. “It is ironic that Malian authorities used the cybercrime law to arrest Chahana Takiou for speaking out about its misuse against the press. They have only proven that his comments were 100% accurate.” The cybercrime unit was set up in 2022 andgiventhe power to use eight legal texts to prosecute online offenses. The vague wording of the 2019 cybercrimes law eliminates the protection that journalists had under the 2000 press law with lighter sentences. Instead, they can be subject to the same weighty penalties as ordinary citizens. On June 8, the National Cybercrime Unit ordered thearrestof Chahana Takiou, publ…

Rights groups condemn arrest of journalists in Mali | AP News Mali’s junta leader Gen. Assimi Goita attends the funeral of former defense minister Sadio Camara at the Military Engineering Parade Ground in Bamako, Mali, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Boubacary Bocoum, file) An aerial view of Bamako, Mali, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo, file) BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Rights groups on Wednesday denounced the arrest of two prominent journalists inMaliin the past two days, the latestcrackdown on freedom of expressionby the West African country’s military leadership during a security crisis. The “Maison de La Presse,” the main press association in Mali, had said Tuesday that Abdramane Keita was arrested on charges of “undermining national unity and the credibility of the State” and “dissemination of false and misleading information.” Keita had said on his popular TV program “Grand Jury” that the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group controls the town of Kidal, a northern town that was seized by JNIM and separatists duringmajor coordinated attacksin April. In Mali, public statements suggesting that the military is losing ground to jihadist groups often lead to charges. His arrest comes a day afte…

Mali authorities arrest 2 journalists in latest crackdown on freedom of ... Malian authorities have arrested two prominent journalists, marking the latest crackdown on freedom of expression by the country's military leadership BAMAKO, Mali --BAMAKO, Mali (AP) —Malianauthorities arrested two prominent journalists in the past two days, the latestcrackdown on freedom of expressionby the West African country's military leadership during a security crisis. The “Maison de La Presse,” the main press association in Mali, said Tuesday that Abderhmane Keita was arrested on charges of “undermining national unity and the credibility of the State” and “dissemination of false and misleading information.” Keita had said on his popular TV program “Grand Jury” that the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group controls the town of Kidal, a northern town that was seized by JNIM and separatists duringmajor coordinated attacksin Mali in April. In Mali, public statements suggesting that the military is losing ground to jihadist groups often leads to charges. His arrest comes a day after the arrest of Chahana Takiou, a well-known television presenter and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “22 Septembre.” According…

Mali's Junta Suspends Popular Radio Show - Human Rights Watch Click to expand Image Microphones and receivers on a mixing desk. © 2018 Rich T Photo/Shutterstock Last week, Mali ’s media regulator silenced one of the country’s few remaining public forums, the popular radio phone-in show, Allô Klédu. On June 25, the High Authority for Communication ordered the suspension of the show, broadcast on the private station Radio Klédu, for two months. The media regulator said the program had become “a platform for listeners to vent against the government,” and sought to justify the suspension by citing broadcasts in which callers accused the authorities of profiting from the armed conflict and lacking the will to end it. It said this amounted to defamation under the July 2000 press law . “ Allô Klédu has long provided a space for ordinary Malians, especially those who are not on social media, to discuss government policies and national developments,” a Malian journalist told Human Rights Watch. “For many, it was one of the country’s last remaining spaces where people could speak out on matters of public concern.” The suspension comes amid an accelerating assault on independent media and sh…

In Mali, two more journalists arrested under cybercrime law for criticising authorities <img width="759" height="396" src="https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/unnamed-1.png?fit=759%2C396&amp;ssl=1" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="Abdrahamane Keïta (left) speaks on the show &quot;Grand Jury&quot; with Chahana Takiou on 5 June. Within days, both journalists had been arrested for the crime of undermining the state&#039;s credibility. (Screenshot: Renouveau TV/YouTube)" style="display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%;" link_thumbnail="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/unnamed-1.png?w=759&amp;ssl=1 759w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/unnamed-1.png?resize=526%2C274&amp;ssl=1 526w, https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/06/unnamed-1.png?resize=750%2C391&amp;ssl=1 750w" sizes="(max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px" /><p>"Malian authorities must stop their frenzied arrests of journalists, drop the charges against Abdrahamane Keïta and Chahana Takiou, and release them, as well as fellow journalist You…