Report on Human Rights Practices for 2011 Country of Mali

Mali is a constitutional democracy. International and domestic observers characterized the 2007 presidential election, which resulted in the reelection of President Amadou Toumani Toure, and the 2007 legislative elections, as generally free and fair; however, there were some administrative irregularities. Security forces reported to civilian authorities. The most important human rights problems are related to gender inequality, failures of the justice system, and exploitative labor relationships. Women face domestic violence to which the legal system frequently turns a blind eye, a culture that widely condones female genital mutilation (FGM), and a legal system that gives preference to men in cases of divorce or inheritance. An ineffective and corrupt legal system has meant detainees face lengthy pretrial detention unless they are willing and able to pay bribes to obtain their release. Human trafficking and exploitative labor relationships are not uncommon in the country, especially in regards to child labor. Other human rights problems included arbitrary and/or unlawful deprivation of life, police abuse of civilians, poor prison conditions, lack of enforcement of court orders, official corruption and impunity, societal discrimination against black Tamasheqs, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and societal discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS.