A social media influencer in Angola, Ana da Silva Miguel, popularly known as Neth Nahara, has seen her prison sentence extended to two years for allegedly “insulting” President João Lourenço on TikTok.
Initially, she had been sentenced to six months by a court in August, but this punishment was deemed too lenient by an appeals court, which subsequently raised it to two years.
Ms. Miguel used her TikTok platform to accuse President Lourenço of causing “anarchy and disorganization” in Angola and held him responsible for the country’s issues like a lack of schools, housing, and employment opportunities, despite its oil wealth.
President Lourenço, who won a second term in a closely contested election, leads the MPLA party, which has held power since Angola’s independence in 1975. The party has faced accusations of running a repressive regime.
The appeals court in Luanda found Ms. Miguel’s words offensive, particularly given her substantial influence over public opinion through social media.
She had pleaded for leniency, citing her status as a first-time offender and a mother of young children while expressing regret for her comments.
However, the court rejected her plea and additionally ordered her to pay President Lourenço $1,200 for purportedly damaging his reputation.
Judge Salomão Raimundo Kulanda emphasized the president’s “sovereign” status and asserted that Ms. Miguel was fully aware of this fact.
With over 230,000 TikTok followers and videos that garner thousands of views, Ms. Miguel has a significant online presence.
Her lawyer stated that this was the first instance in Angola where someone had been convicted for their TikTok posts, underscoring the finality of the ruling.
Appeals to the Supreme Court could only be pursued for sentences exceeding three years.
The state prosecutor had sought a more severe punishment, arguing that the initial six-month sentence was too lenient, and that Ms. Miguel was likely to continue posting similar content on social media.
Despite being a major oil exporter, Angola grapples with widespread poverty.
Recent protests have erupted over the rising cost of living. In August, Human Rights Watch accused security forces of unlawfully killing at least 15 individuals, primarily government critics, since the beginning of the year.
In response to public outcry, President Lourenço dismissed the economic minister in June following deadly protests stemming from a fuel subsidy reduction that led to price increases.
Source-BBC
