Two Malian newspaper directors, Chahana Takiou of *22 Septembre* and Abdrahamane Keita of *Le Témoin*, were imprisoned on June 8th and 9th respectively. Takiou was arrested after criticizing the Malian justice system’s disregard for press freedom. Keita’s arrest followed his reporting on the administration of Kidal by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and their allied independentists, who have controlled the city since April 25th. The journalists’ imprisonment has prompted mobilization within the Malian press corps advocating for their release. Currently, efforts are focused on pursuing dialogue as the primary means of securing their freedom. The arrests raise concerns about the state of press freedom in Mali. The situation in Kidal, and reporting on it, appears to be a sensitive issue for the authorities.