Diplomacy – A French intelligence officer, who held diplomatic status and had been held in Bamako for nearly ten months, has been handed a 20-year prison sentence for “undermining state security”. Paris vehemently condemns these “unfounded accusations”.

This Friday, the Malian judiciary delivered its verdict, sentencing the French intelligence agent to two decades in prison. The individual, who had been under detention in Bamako for almost ten months, was found guilty of “undermining state security,” a charge that the French government promptly dismissed as baseless.

The French national, arrested in August 2025 and initially accused of conspiring against the institutions of the Sahelian nation—which is currently governed by a junta with strained relations with France—also faces a 20-year ban from Malian territory and a fine of 5,400 euros. This information was confirmed by multiple judicial sources.

Trial conducted behind closed doors

The proceedings took place on Thursday before the specialized anti-terrorism criminal chamber, with the judgment announced the following day. According to one of the aforementioned sources, the trial was held in camera, away from public scrutiny.

The individual, identified as Yann V., was apprehended on August 13, 2025, during an operation carried out by Mali’s State Security (SE) intelligence services.

Officially assigned to the French embassy in Bamako, the French officer was arrested alongside several officers from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa).

These Malian officers, who have since been discharged from service, are yet to face trial. They stand accused of establishing an espionage network and plotting to destabilize Mali’s transitional institutions with the ultimate goal of orchestrating a coup d’état.

“Unfounded accusations”

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs had at the(…)