French intelligence agent handed 20 years in Mali, Paris condemns trial

Diplomacy – A French intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover, held in Bamako for nearly ten months, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for ‘undermining state security’.

On Friday, a Mali court convicted a French intelligence agent who had been detained since August 2025 while serving under diplomatic status. The sentence of 20 years was for ‘undermining state security’, a charge that Paris immediately dismissed as ‘baseless accusations’.

The man, identified as Yann V., was arrested in August 2025 on allegations of plotting against the institutions of the Sahelian country, now led by a junta that has broken ties with France. In addition to the prison term, he received a 20-year ban from entering Mali and a fine of 5,400 euros, according to three separate judicial sources.

Trial held behind closed doors

The trial took place on Thursday before the criminal chamber of the specialised counter-terrorism division, with the verdict announced on Friday. Sources confirmed the proceedings were closed to the public.

Yann V., officially assigned to the French embassy in Bamako, was arrested alongside several officers from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). Those officers, since dismissed, have not yet been tried. They are accused of running an espionage and conspiracy network aimed at destabilising Mali’s transitional institutions to stage a coup d’état.

‘Baseless accusations’

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