A court in Senegal has sentenced three TikTok influencers to prison over posts that allegedly insulted President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The ruling has drawn fresh attention to the limits placed on online speech in the country.
The case centred on TikTok videos that the authorities considered offensive toward the head of state. All three men were prosecuted over the content they had posted on the platform.
The harshest sentence went to Mandoumbe Diop, widely known online as Lamignou Darou. He was given three months in prison without suspension, making him the most heavily punished of the group.
The two other creators received lighter terms. Magueye Diaw, known as Oustaz Thiep, and Moustapha Ndiaye, known as Ndiaye Touba, were each sentenced to two months in prison.
In addition to the jail terms, the two were each fined 500,000 CFA francs, an amount equivalent to around 800 dollars, according to their lawyer.
Defence lawyer Abdina Diaye pushed back against the convictions. He argued that the TikTok videos were comedic in nature and did not justify criminal prosecution.
The ruling has triggered criticism from those who see it as part of growing concerns over freedom of expression and online speech in Senegal. For its critics, the case raises questions about how the authorities treat dissenting voices on social media.