DAKAR, Aug 6 (Reuters) – A Senegalese court sentenced three TikTok influencers to serve prison time and pay a fine for insulting the president, their lawyer said in a video posted on Facebook, a move that critics said was an assault on free speech in the West African country.
• The three men worked for online communications channel Feenal Digital, which produces content that some say favors Senegal’s ousted Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the head of the PASTEF party.
• Sonko recently split from his ally, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who launched his own party last month.
• Feenal Digital aims to promote government and private-sector activities, according to its description on Facebook.
• Mandoumbe Diop, known as Lamignou Darou, was sentenced to three months in prison without suspension. He appeared to be the most influential of the three, with over half a million followers on his TikTok channel. His videos often draw tens of thousands of views.
• Magueye Diaw, known as Oustaz Thiep, and Moustapha Ndiaye, known as Ndiaye Touba, were each sentenced to two months without parole, Feenal Digital said on Facebook.
• Their lawyer, Abdy Nar Ndiaye, described their posts on TikTok as comical and said they did not merit criminal prosecution. He said Diaw and Ndiaye were fined 500,000 CFA ($800).
• Feenal Digital and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Jessica Donati and Rod Nickel)
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