Ana da Silva Miguel, a prominent social media influencer known as Neth Nahara, has had her prison sentence extended to two years for allegedly “insulting” President João Lourenço on the popular platform TikTok.
Initially handed a six-month sentence in August, an appeals court has now deemed the initial penalty too lenient, leading to the imposition of a two-year imprisonment term. Miguel, through her TikTok account, accused President Lourenço of “anarchy and disorganization” and held him accountable for various socio-economic challenges in the country, including the shortage of schools, housing, and job opportunities.
President Lourenço secured a second term in office last August, extending the rule of the MPLA party, which has maintained its grip on power in Angola since the nation’s independence in 1975. The MPLA has faced allegations of overseeing a repressive regime. The appeals court, situated in the capital city of Luanda, justified the harsher sentence by citing Miguel’s offensive rhetoric directed at the president and her substantial influence on public opinion.
Ms. Miguel had implored for leniency, citing her status as a first-time offender, her role as a mother of young children, and expressing remorse for her remarks. However, the court dismissed her plea and went even further by ordering her to pay President Lourenço $1,200 (£1,000) as compensation for the “damage” caused to his reputation.
Judge Salomão Raimundo Kulanda emphasized the president’s sovereignty and noted that the TikToker was well aware of this fact. With a TikTok following exceeding 230,000 users, Ms. Miguel’s videos consistently attract thousands of views.
Her legal representative informed the Portuguese news outlet, Lusa, that this marked the first instance in Angola where an individual was convicted for content posted on TikTok. The lawyer also clarified that the ruling was definitive, as an appeal to the Supreme Court could only be pursued for sentences exceeding three years.
In August, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the security forces of unlawfully taking the lives of at least 15 individuals, primarily government critics, since the beginning of the year. Despite being one of Africa’s foremost oil exporters, Angola’s population grapples with widespread poverty, and the nation has recently witnessed a surge in protests over the escalating cost of living.
The state prosecutor had advocated for a more severe punishment, arguing that the initial six-month sentence was excessively lenient and that Ms. Miguel was likely to continue posting similar content on social media.
