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A well-known social media influencer in Angola, Ana da Silva Miguel, who is famously known as Neth Nahara, has had her prison sentence extended to two years for making “insulting” comments about President João Lourenço on TikTok.
Initially, she was sentenced to a six-month prison term in August, but an appellate court determined that the earlier sentence was too lenient and subsequently increased it to two years.
Ms. Miguel made accusations against the president on her TikTok account, alleging “anarchy and disorganization” and assigning blame to him for issues such as the scarcity of schools, housing, and employment within the country.
President Lourenço secured re-election for a second term in August of last year, extending the MPLA party’s decades-long rule. The party has maintained its grip on power since Angola gained independence in 1975 and has faced allegations of presiding over a repressive regime.
The appeals court in the capital, Luanda, cited Ms. Miguel’s offensive remarks directed at the president and her substantial influence over public opinion as the basis for the more severe sentence.
Despite her appeal for leniency as a first-time offender and a mother of young children who expressed remorse for her statements, the court rejected her request and ordered her to pay President Lourenço $1,200 (£1,000) as compensation for the harm caused to his reputation.
Ms. Miguel, boasting over 230,000 TikTok followers and a substantial viewership for her videos, is believed to be the first individual in Angola to be convicted for content shared on TikTok, as per her legal representative.
This ruling is definitive, as the Supreme Court only entertains appeals for sentences that exceed three years.
