A court in Senegal has sent three TikTok influencers to prison because their posts are said to have insulted the president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.This decision has caused backlash from people who are worried about freedom of expression and how people speak online in Senegal.The three influencers are connected to an online platform.
Some people think the messages on this platform are in support of the former prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, who leads the PASTEF party.
This case comes at a time when there is more tension within the ruling political group after a public argument between President Faye and Sonko, who were once close friends.Faye recently started his own political party, which has made their differences more noticeable.
Who are the TikTok influencers who were sentenced?
The most severe punishment was given to Man Doumbe Diop, also known as Lamignou Darou.
He received a three-month prison sentence without the possibility of probation.Diop is the most popular of the three influencers, with over 500,000 followers on TikTok.His videos often get tens of thousands of views.
The other two creators from Feenal Digital, Magueye Diaw known as Oustaz Thiep, and Moustapha Ndiaye known as Ndiaye Touba, were each given two months in prison without the option of probation.
They were also fined 500,000 CFA francs each, which is about $800, according to their lawyer.All three influencers were represented by lawyer Abdy Nar Ndiaye, who said their TikTok videos were just for fun and shouldn’t have led to criminal charges.Feenal Digital says it is an online platform that promotes activities related to the government and private businesses on Facebook.
