GENEVA, Aug 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Several UN experts on Monday urged Malian authorities to free activist Clement Mamadou Dembele, who has been in jail since November 2023 despite a judge ordering his release.

Dembele, an academic and anti-corruption activist, had been accused of issuing death threats against Mali's junta chief and now president, General Assimi Goita, in an audio message shared on social media.

But an independent forensic expert tasked with authenticating the recording concluded that the voice in the audio was not Dembele's.

A judge from Mali's National Cybercrime Unit then dismissed the case, prompting an appeal by prosecutors.

Since taking power in Mali through coups in 2020 and 2021, the west African country's military rulers have ramped up pressure on critics.

"This case reflects the persistent and escalating pattern of human rights violations against members of opposition political parties, civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders in Mali," the UN experts said in a statement.

A court order authorising Dembele's release was issued but the UN experts -- who were appointed by the organisation's Human Rights Council (HRC) but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations -- said Dembele remains in jail.

"His trial and continued detention may amount to a misuse of the judicial system by the government," the experts added.