ABIDJAN, June 21, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A Malian cyberactivist detained in the Ivory Coast for more than a month on spying accusations has been freed, his family and lawyers said Saturday.

Abdoul Aziz Maiga, known online as "Aziz Maiga does not lie", was arrested on May 3 and placed under a detention order, said his lawyers.

He had been accused of "gathering intelligence on behalf of a foreign power with a view to undermining the integrity of Cote d'Ivoire and national security", charges he denied.

In a posting on Facebook, his family thanked those "who had contributed to the liberation of our dear Aziz". The family did not say why he had been released.

Diplomatic relations between Mali and Ivory Coast have been tense since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021 that brought General Assimi Goita to power in Bamako.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has strongly opposed the coups that have shaken several countries in West Africa's Sahel region in recent years.

On his social media accounts, Maiga describes himself as a journalist, blogger and analyst and regularly shares information about the conflict in Mali, often favourable to the ruling junta.

Following his arrest, several Ivorian internet users shared Maiga's past posts, highlighting his sometimes critical views of Cote d'Ivoire.

"This detention is unrelated to Mr Maiga's work as a journalist," his French lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, said in a statement earlier this week.

"His posts, which are followed by more than 150,000 people, are in no way subversive and are protected under the right to freedom of expression; they are the sole reason for these baseless charges."

The Ivorian authorities have not commented on his arrest.