| MALI Republic of Mali Republique de Mali Joined United Nations: 28 September 1960 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Updated 31 January 2013 |
Title I
The Rights and Duties of Human Dignity
Article 1: The human dignity is sacred and inviolable.
Each individual has the right to life, liberty, and the security and integrity of his person.
Article 2: All Malians are born and live free and equal in their rights and duties. Any discrimination based on social origin, color, language,
race, sex, religion, or political opinion is prohibited.
Article 3: No one will be put to torture, nor to inhumane, cruel, degrading, or humiliating treatment.
Each individual, each agent of the State who is found guilty of such acts, either on his own initiative, or by another’s command, will be
punished at law.
Article 4: Every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, worship, opinion, expression, and creation in respect to
the law.
Article 5: The State recognizes and guarantees, under conditions established by law, freedom to come and go, freedom of choice of
residence, freedom of association, assembly, following, and demonstrations.
Article 6: Residence, property, private and family life, confidentiality of correspondence and communication are inviolable.
They may only be undermined according to the conditions defined by law.
Article 7: Freedom of press is recognized and guaranteed.
This is expressed according to the conditions defined by law.
Equal access for all to the media of the State is assured by an independent organization; that organization shall define the laws which
assure such access.
Article 8: Freedom of artistic an cultural creativity is recognized and guaranteed. This freedom shall be carried out according to the
conditions defined by law.
Article 9: Punishment is individual
No one may be pursued, arrested or charged in violation of a law promulgated after the fact.
All accused are presumed innocent until their guilt may be established by a competent court.
The right to a defense, which includes assistance by a lawyer of choice, is guaranteed from the outset of interrogation.
Article 10: Any person who objects to an action to deprive them of liberty has the right to be examined by a doctor of their choice.
One may only be detained for more than forty-eight hours as a result of a decision motivated by a Magistrate of the court.
One may only be detained in a penitentiary by a delivered mandate by a Magistrate of the court.
Article 11: That which is not forbidden by law cannot be made a crime, and one may only be constrained for what the law does not
permit.
Article 12: No one may be forced into exile.
Anyone persecuted because of their political or religious beliefs, their ethnic membership, may benefit from the right of asylum in the
Republic of Mali.
Article 13: The right to own property is guaranteed. One may only be deprived of that right for the purpose of public utility with just and
prior compensation.
Article 14: Freedom of enterprise is vigorously guaranteed within the scope of the laws and regulations.
Article 15: Every person has a right to a healthy environment. The protection and defense of the environment and the promotion of the
quality of life is a duty of everyone and of the State.
Article 16: In the case of a reported national disaster, every citizen has a duty to give aid according to the conditions defined by law.
Article 17: Education, instruction, training, employment, housing, leisure, health and social protection constitute some of the recognized
rights.
Article 18: Every citizen has a right to education.
Public education is mandatory, free, and non-religious.
Private education is recognized and it must be carried out according to the conditions defined by law.
Article 19: The rights to employment and furlough are recognized and shall be equal for all. Every citizen has a duty to work but one may
only be restricted to specific employment in the case of fulfillment of a service of exceptional public interest, equal for all according to the
conditions defined by law.
Article 20: The freedom of unions is guaranteed. Unions must perform their activities without
constraining or limiting others aside from those activities provided by law.
Article 21: The right to go on strike is guaranteed. It is vigorously guaranteed within the scope of the laws and regulations.
Article 22: Defense of the homeland is a duty of every citizen.
Article 23: Every citizen must work for the common good.
Every citizen must fulfill all civic obligations, notably contributing monetary donations.
Article 24: Every citizen and every person living in the Malian territory has the duty to respect, in every circumstance, the constitution.
The Rights and Duties of Human Dignity
Article 1: The human dignity is sacred and inviolable.
Each individual has the right to life, liberty, and the security and integrity of his person.
Article 2: All Malians are born and live free and equal in their rights and duties. Any discrimination based on social origin, color, language,
race, sex, religion, or political opinion is prohibited.
Article 3: No one will be put to torture, nor to inhumane, cruel, degrading, or humiliating treatment.
Each individual, each agent of the State who is found guilty of such acts, either on his own initiative, or by another’s command, will be
punished at law.
Article 4: Every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, worship, opinion, expression, and creation in respect to
the law.
Article 5: The State recognizes and guarantees, under conditions established by law, freedom to come and go, freedom of choice of
residence, freedom of association, assembly, following, and demonstrations.
Article 6: Residence, property, private and family life, confidentiality of correspondence and communication are inviolable.
They may only be undermined according to the conditions defined by law.
Article 7: Freedom of press is recognized and guaranteed.
This is expressed according to the conditions defined by law.
Equal access for all to the media of the State is assured by an independent organization; that organization shall define the laws which
assure such access.
Article 8: Freedom of artistic an cultural creativity is recognized and guaranteed. This freedom shall be carried out according to the
conditions defined by law.
Article 9: Punishment is individual
No one may be pursued, arrested or charged in violation of a law promulgated after the fact.
All accused are presumed innocent until their guilt may be established by a competent court.
The right to a defense, which includes assistance by a lawyer of choice, is guaranteed from the outset of interrogation.
Article 10: Any person who objects to an action to deprive them of liberty has the right to be examined by a doctor of their choice.
One may only be detained for more than forty-eight hours as a result of a decision motivated by a Magistrate of the court.
One may only be detained in a penitentiary by a delivered mandate by a Magistrate of the court.
Article 11: That which is not forbidden by law cannot be made a crime, and one may only be constrained for what the law does not
permit.
Article 12: No one may be forced into exile.
Anyone persecuted because of their political or religious beliefs, their ethnic membership, may benefit from the right of asylum in the
Republic of Mali.
Article 13: The right to own property is guaranteed. One may only be deprived of that right for the purpose of public utility with just and
prior compensation.
Article 14: Freedom of enterprise is vigorously guaranteed within the scope of the laws and regulations.
Article 15: Every person has a right to a healthy environment. The protection and defense of the environment and the promotion of the
quality of life is a duty of everyone and of the State.
Article 16: In the case of a reported national disaster, every citizen has a duty to give aid according to the conditions defined by law.
Article 17: Education, instruction, training, employment, housing, leisure, health and social protection constitute some of the recognized
rights.
Article 18: Every citizen has a right to education.
Public education is mandatory, free, and non-religious.
Private education is recognized and it must be carried out according to the conditions defined by law.
Article 19: The rights to employment and furlough are recognized and shall be equal for all. Every citizen has a duty to work but one may
only be restricted to specific employment in the case of fulfillment of a service of exceptional public interest, equal for all according to the
conditions defined by law.
Article 20: The freedom of unions is guaranteed. Unions must perform their activities without
constraining or limiting others aside from those activities provided by law.
Article 21: The right to go on strike is guaranteed. It is vigorously guaranteed within the scope of the laws and regulations.
Article 22: Defense of the homeland is a duty of every citizen.
Article 23: Every citizen must work for the common good.
Every citizen must fulfill all civic obligations, notably contributing monetary donations.
Article 24: Every citizen and every person living in the Malian territory has the duty to respect, in every circumstance, the constitution.
Civilized society in the region of Mali began with the Ghana Empire of the Soninke people
which arose in the 5th Century CE . Though never fully taking to Islam the maintained good
relations with Muslim traders. The Malinke Kingdom of Mali took root along the Niger River in
the 11th Century who spread Islam as the expanded the territory of Mali including Western
Sudan. The were supplanted by the Songhai Kingdom in the 15th Century which collapse
following Moroccan raids in 1591. Smaller regional Kingdoms such as Segu, Kaarta,
Kenedougou, Maasina, Toucouleur and Wassoulou Empires reigned until all of the
kingdoms had been conquered by the French. France achieved domination of the region by
1893 and touched off an era of extensive colonization as French Sudan. On 4 April 1959
French Sudan joined Senegal to form the Mali Federation which collapsed on 20 August
1960 when Senegal seceded. The remaining Soudan declared its independence on 22
September 1960 with the promulgation of a single-party socialist constitution and again in
1974. It was suspended in a coup on 26 March 1991 and a new, multi-party constitution was
promulgated on 12 January 1992 and is presently in force. Human rights are enumerated
beginning with Title I (The Rights and Duties of Human Dignity), conform with the 1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which Mali is a signatory and are detailed below. It
has been suspended since the 2012 military coup. For a full English translation of Mali's
Constitution, click here.
which arose in the 5th Century CE . Though never fully taking to Islam the maintained good
relations with Muslim traders. The Malinke Kingdom of Mali took root along the Niger River in
the 11th Century who spread Islam as the expanded the territory of Mali including Western
Sudan. The were supplanted by the Songhai Kingdom in the 15th Century which collapse
following Moroccan raids in 1591. Smaller regional Kingdoms such as Segu, Kaarta,
Kenedougou, Maasina, Toucouleur and Wassoulou Empires reigned until all of the
kingdoms had been conquered by the French. France achieved domination of the region by
1893 and touched off an era of extensive colonization as French Sudan. On 4 April 1959
French Sudan joined Senegal to form the Mali Federation which collapsed on 20 August
1960 when Senegal seceded. The remaining Soudan declared its independence on 22
September 1960 with the promulgation of a single-party socialist constitution and again in
1974. It was suspended in a coup on 26 March 1991 and a new, multi-party constitution was
promulgated on 12 January 1992 and is presently in force. Human rights are enumerated
beginning with Title I (The Rights and Duties of Human Dignity), conform with the 1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which Mali is a signatory and are detailed below. It
has been suspended since the 2012 military coup. For a full English translation of Mali's
Constitution, click here.