Mara, who was prime minister of the west African country for eight months from 2014 until 2015, was charged with “undermining the credibility of the state and opposing legitimate authority” in October.

In July, he posted on social media that he had met political prisoners and promised justice. He has been in prison since August 1.

A judge in the Bamako Court of Appeal upheld his original sentence of two years in jail, one of them suspended, and a fine of 500,000 CFA francs ($908).

“We will not give up,” his lawyer Mountaga Tall told AFP, adding: “We will consult with each other and appeal to the Supreme Court.”

Mali is ruled by a military junta, which came to power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

Since then, the government has ramped up repression of its critics, including taking measures against the press and dissolving political parties.

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