Senegal judges imprison three TikTok creators for insulting the president

A Dakar court sentenced three TikTok influencers from the online channel Feenal Digital for offending the head of state. Mandoumbe Diop, known as Lamignou Darou, received three months’ imprisonment; Magueye Diaw (Oustaz Thiep) and Moustapha Ndiaye (Ndiaye Touba) each received two months. All were fined 500,000 CFA (about $800). The conviction stemmed from a TikTok video that invoked misfortune for “the one who betrayed the Pastef project,” which prosecutors said targeted President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The defendants argued the clip was a comedic sketch and did not name the president. Critics described the ruling as a crackdown on free expression amid heightened political tension involving former opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and the newly elected president. The case, which began with the opening of the trial earlier in July, highlights Senegal’s strict enforcement of laws against offenses to the head of state and raises concerns about the balance between security and speech rights.