Mali's transitional leader, General Assimi Goïta, has granted a presidential pardon to Yann Vézilier, a French intelligence officer.
Vézilier, an agent of France's Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE), was sentenced in Mali in June to 20 years in prison. He was officially assigned to the French Embassy in Bamako, Mali.
20 years prison sentence
Vézilier's sentence, now pardoned by Mali's leader.
He held the status of second secretary at the embassy, a role that typically grants diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, as reported.
Unverified: Yann Vézilier was arrested on August 13, 2025, alongside several officers of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa).
He was accused of conspiracy against the institutions of Mali.
