Diplomatic tensions escalate as a French intelligence officer, arrested nearly ten months ago in Bamako, receives a 20-year prison sentence for “undermining state security,” a verdict that has drawn sharp criticism from France.

On Friday, Mali’s judiciary sentenced a French intelligence agent operating under diplomatic cover to 20 years in prison on charges of “undermining state security.” The agent, who had been detained in Bamako for close to ten months, was also given a 20-year ban from entering Mali and ordered to pay a fine of 5,400 euros. French authorities swiftly condemned the ruling, calling the accusations baseless.

The French national, identified as Yann V., was arrested on August 13, 2025, during an operation by Mali’s State Security (SE) intelligence services. He was officially assigned to the French embassy in Bamako, but Malian authorities accused him of conspiring against the Sahelian nation’s institutions, which are currently under the control of a junta that has broken ties with France.

Trial held behind closed doors

The trial took place on Thursday before the criminal chamber of the specialized counterterrorism unit, with the verdict announced on Friday. According to judicial sources, the proceedings were conducted behind closed doors. Several officers from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) who were arrested alongside the French agent have not yet been tried and have been dismissed from service. They are accused of setting up an espionage and conspiracy network aimed at destabilizing Mali’s transitional institutions and staging a coup d’état.

‘Baseless accusations’

France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously called for the immediate release of its agent, denouncing the charges as unfounded. The case further strains relations between Paris and Bamako, already at a low point since the military junta took power.

By Mariama Hamani — Analyst