Mali has granted a presidential pardon to Yann Vezilier, a French national sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly taking part in a plot to destabilize the government of military leader Assimi Goïta. Vezilier was arrested in 2025 alongside several Malian military officers and soldiers accused of plotting against the junta. Malian authorities alleged that he was acting on behalf of French intelligence, an accusation France has rejected as unfounded. The Malian government announced the pardon on Thursday, saying it did not overturn the findings of the court, which it said had been reached through a trial respecting the rights of the defense. Vezilier is to be immediately expelled from Mali.
France’s Foreign Ministry has not yet publicly commented on the decision. The case became another flashpoint in relations between Mali and its former colonial power. Since Goïta seized power in a 2021 coup, Bamako has pushed France out of its security partnership and strengthened ties with Russia. Mali remains at the centre of a severe regional security crisis. Jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State continue to operate across large parts of the country despite military operations by Malian forces and Russian security partners.
Political tensions have also intensified. The junta has dissolved political parties, while elections promised after the military takeover have been repeatedly postponed. Goïta’s rule was extended for another five years in 2025, potentially allowing him to remain in power until 2030. The pardon of Vezilier could ease some of the immediate tension between Bamako and Paris, but it does not resolve the wider dispute over France’s role in Mali or the allegations of foreign interference that have accompanied the country’s political crisis.
