The coalition which includes Article 19 Senegal, Spaces for Change West Africa, along with several others, said in a statement Friday that the freeze was ordered under a directive issued by Mali’s Finance Ministry, requiring banks and other financial institutions to block the individuals’ assets.
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The group said the move follows an earlier order in May that placed former lawmaker and opposition party president Oumar Mariko, economist Étienne Fakaba Sissoko, and the separatist Front de Libération de l’Azawad on Mali’s national sanctions list.
While the coalition said it recognizes the seriousness of terrorism financing and the government’s responsibility to protect national security, it said the latest measure raises questions about transparency, due process and proportionality.
The group said it was unclear whether the six-month renewable freeze was preceded by judicial authorization, an individualized review of evidence, or an accessible appeals process.
The statement cited standards from the Financial Action Task Force, the global anti-money laundering watchdog, which has said counter-terrorism financing measures should be proportionate and avoid disrupting legitimate civil society work. It also referenced guidance from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, which has warned against measures that restrict civic space.
The coalition said that without clear safeguards, the sanctions could affect rights to free expression, association and press freedom under Mali’s constitution and international agreements including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The group said it condemns terrorism and its financing, but urged Mali’s government to disclose the legal and evidentiary basis for the order, ensure access to due process, and consider revising the measure.