Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goïta, has granted a presidential pardon to French intelligence officer Yann Vézilier, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June, according to a government statement published on Facebook on Thursday, August 13.
“The Transition government informs the public that, by decree,” General Assimi Goïta granted a presidential pardon to the French national, the statement said.
Vézilier, who was officially assigned to the French embassy in Bamako, was arrested on August 13, 2025, alongside several Malian military officers during an operation carried out by Mali’s State Security intelligence service.
Malian authorities accused him of conspiring against the country’s institutions at a time of deepening tensions between Bamako and its former colonial power. French authorities have repeatedly rejected the accusations as unfounded.
Vézilier spent nearly 10 months in detention in Bamako between his arrest and trial. Until recently, he was held at Camp 1 of the gendarmerie in the Malian capital.
Bamako credits an unnamed “brother country”
In the same statement, the Malian government thanked what it described as a “brother country” for contributing to the French officer’s release, without identifying the country involved.
The Malian officers arrested alongside Vézilier have also been removed from the armed forces but have yet to stand trial. They are accused of establishing an espionage network and plotting to destabilise the transitional authorities in an attempt to carry out a coup.
The pardon comes amid persistent tensions between Mali and France, whose relations have deteriorated sharply since the military seized power.
Mali has strengthened ties with Russia
Mali has been facing a major security crisis since 2012, with attacks involving jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as community-based armed groups and Tuareg separatist movements. The security crisis has also contributed to severe economic difficulties.
Following successive military coups in 2020 and 2021, the country has been ruled by a military government that initially promised to restore security and protect Mali’s territorial integrity.
The junta has since distanced itself from France in its fight against jihadist groups and moved closer to Russia, both militarily and politically.
The release of Yann Vézilier could therefore mark a significant development in the strained relationship between Bamako and Paris, although the broader diplomatic tensions between the two countries remain unresolved.
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