Just In : TikToker Jailed Two Years For Insulting President
Ana da Silva Miguel, a prominent social media influencer in Angola known as Neth Nahara, has had her prison sentence increased to two years by the country’s court for “insulting” President João Lourenço on TikTok, according to BBC reports.
Initially sentenced to six months in August, the appeals court ruled that the punishment was too lenient and extended it to two years.
Miguel accused the president on her TikTok account of “anarchy and disorganisation”, as reported by local media. She also attributed issues like the lack of schools, housing, and employment in the oil-rich southern African state to the president.
President Lourenço secured a second term in August the previous year in a tightly contested election that prolonged the MPLA party’s longstanding rule. The MPLA has been in power since the country’s independence in 1975 and has faced allegations of leading a repressive regime.
The appeals court in the capital, Luanda, stated that Miguel had used offensive language against the president, and her capacity to influence public opinion rendered her conduct “more objectionable”.
Though she appealed for leniency, citing her status as a first-time offender and a mother of young children who regretted her statements, the court dismissed her plea. Furthermore, she was ordered to pay President Lourenço $1,200 (£1,000) for the perceived “damage” to his reputation.
Judge Salomão Raimundo Kulanda emphasized the president’s “sovereign” status and highlighted that the TikToker was aware of this.
With over 230,000 followers on TikTok, Miguel’s videos garner thousands of views. Her lawyer noted that this marked the first time a person had been convicted in Angola for content posted on TikTok. The lawyer added that this ruling was definitive, as an appeal to the Supreme Court could not be made for sentences less than three years.
The state prosecutor had pushed for a more severe penalty, contending that the initial six-month sentence was overly lenient and that Miguel might continue to post similar content on social media. Despite being one of Africa’s leading oil exporters, Angola grapples with high levels of poverty and has recently witnessed a surge of protests due to the escalating cost of living.
