The French Foreign Ministry has strongly denied the charges against Vezilier, labeling them as «unfounded accusations.» In a statement, officials emphasized that he was engaged in legitimate security cooperation activities while serving at the French embassy in Bamako. «Our agent was carrying out a security cooperation mission and, in no way, was France involved—directly or indirectly—in destabilizing Mali,» the ministry declared.

According to judicial sources, Vezilier was arrested in August 2025 on suspicion of conspiring against Mali’s transitional institutions. The court also imposed a 20-year ban on his entry into Mali and fined him €5,400. The trial took place before the criminal chamber of the specialized anti-terrorism unit, with the verdict announced shortly after.

Conspiracy charges and military ties

Vezilier, who was officially posted at the French embassy in Bamako, was detained alongside several Malian military officers. These officers, now dismissed from service, remain unprosecuted. Authorities accuse them of operating a clandestine network aimed at destabilizing Mali’s transitional government through espionage and coup plotting.

Mali has faced persistent security challenges since 2012, including insurgencies linked to Al-Qaïda and the Islamic State, as well as communal violence. The country is currently governed by a military junta that seized power in 2020 and 2021 following two successive coups. Since then, Bamako has shifted its political and military alliances away from Western partners, including France, in favor of closer ties with Russia.