TikTok Influencer’s Sentence Increased to Two Years for Criticizing President in Angola

By Admin

Ana da Silva Miguel, popularly known as Neth Nahara, faced a drastic turn of events as her initial six-month sentence, imposed in August, was extended to two years by an appeals court in a recent ruling.

The TikTok influencer gained notoriety after accusing President Lourenço of “anarchy and disorganization” in her social media posts, with strong allegations of responsibility for issues such as the lack of schools, housing, and employment in Angola.

President Lourenço, who secured a second term in a closely contested election in August the previous year, is the leader of the MPLA party that has held power in Angola since its independence in 1975.

The appeals court, located in the capital, Luanda, found Ms. Miguel’s comments against the president to be offensive. They highlighted her significant influence on public opinion, which rendered her actions “more objectionable.”

Despite her plea for leniency based on being a first-time offender and a mother of young children, the court dismissed her request and ordered her to pay President Lourenço $1,200 (£1,000) for the alleged damage caused to his reputation. Judge Salomão Raimundo Kulanda emphasized the president’s “sovereign” status and Ms. Miguel’s awareness of this.

With over 230,000 followers on TikTok and videos that garner thousands of views, Ms. Miguel’s case marked the first instance of someone being convicted in Angola for their social media content, her lawyer told Portuguese news outlet Lusa.

Furthermore, the lawyer noted that the ruling is final, as no appeal to the Supreme Court can be made for a sentence of less than three years.

The state prosecutor had pushed for a harsher penalty, arguing that the initial six-month sentence was too lenient and that Ms. Miguel might continue posting similar content on social media.

Angola, one of Africa’s major oil exporters, grapples with stark inequalities as a large portion of its population lives in poverty. Recent protests have erupted due to the rising cost of living, with human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) accusing the security forces of unlawfully killing at least 15 people, predominantly government critics, since the beginning of the year.

In June, President Lourenço dismissed the economic minister following deadly protests resulting from a reduction in fuel subsidies, leading to a surge in prices.