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.
