Mali court jails men who beat up former interim president

Reuters
Mali's former interim President Dioncounda Traore addresses Mali's troops during his visit to their base in the town of Nara, 375 km from Bamako April 13, 2013. REUTERS/Adama Diarra

BAMAKO (Reuters) - A Malian court has sentenced two men to five years in jail for beating up Mali's former interim president, Dioncounda Traore, during the occupation of his palace in May 2012 by protesters demanding he resign, the Justice Minister said on Wednesday. The court on Tuesday acquitted a third man of involvement in the attack, which followed a military coup that allowed separatists and Islamists to take control of parts of northern Mali. The two men were convicted of charges including criminal conspiracy and attempted assassination, Justice Minister Sanogo Aminata Malle said in a statement. Traore was hospitalized in France for two months before coming back to Mali. He later authorized a foreign military intervention to oust Islamist militants who threatened Bamako, before handing over power to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in September 2013. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diello; Writing by Marine Pennetier; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Matthew Lewis)