A Malian court has ordered a 20-year jail term against an official at the French embassy accused of being a spy for "undermining state security".

Detained since his arrest in August 2025, the Frenchman was also hit on Thursday with a 5,400-euro ($6,225) fine and a 20-year ban on entering Mali.

At the time of his arrest, the Malian authorities accused the official, identified as Yann V., of working for the French intelligence services, and railed against "foreign states" trying to destabilise the country.

He was detained on August 13 in the company of several Malian officers, who were allegedly plotting a coup in the country.

France again insisted that the charges against the official, who was working at the French embassy in the capital, Bamako, were without merit.

"Our agent is the subject of legal proceedings involving baseless accusations," the French foreign ministry said on Friday.

"Our official was carrying out a security cooperation mission and under no circumstances has France participated, directly or indirectly, in the destabilisation of Mali."