A court in Mali has released 11 opposition leaders who were arrested in June for allegedly plotting against the ruling military junta.
The leaders, who were detained for calling for a return to civilian rule, were provisionally released on Friday.
This move is seen as an attempt to calm the country’s political climate, which has been tense since the controversial appointment of Gen. Abdoulaye Maïga as prime minister.
The 11 individuals were arrested on June 20 during a meeting that was deemed “illegal” because all political party activities had been banned at the time.
They were charged with plotting against the junta after signing a declaration in March that called for the military to relinquish power.
According to former Malian minister Djiguiba Keita, the release of the opposition leaders is the result of a process initiated to calm the political climate in the country. Keita stated that the leaders “are free to resume their political activities and travel.”
However, several other prominent political leaders and civil society activists remain in prison in Mali, including Issa Kaou N’Djim and economist Etienne Fakaba Sissoko.
Both have been critical of the military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
