A Senegalese court has sentenced three TikTok influencers to prison over social media posts allegedly deemed insulting to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, amid growing concerns about freedom of expression and online speech in the country.

The three influencers, who work with Feenal Digital, an online content platform, were convicted over videos published on TikTok. Some observers have described the platform’s content as sympathetic to former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the PASTEF party.

The case comes against the backdrop of growing political tensions between Faye and Sonko, who were once close allies and played key roles in the rise of PASTEF.

The most severe sentence was handed to Mandoumbe Diop, popularly known online as Lamignou Darou, who was sentenced to three months in prison without suspension.

Diop, the most followed of the three influencers, has more than 500,000 TikTok followers, with his videos regularly attracting tens of thousands of views.

Two other Feenal Digital creators, Magueye Diaw, known as Oustaz Thiep, and Moustapha Ndiaye, popularly called Ndiaye Touba, were each sentenced to two months in prison without suspension.

The pair were also fined 500,000 CFA francs each, equivalent to about $800, according to their lawyer.

The three influencers were represented by lawyer Abdy Nar Ndiaye, who argued that their TikTok videos were intended as comedy and did not warrant criminal prosecution.

Feenal Digital describes itself as an online platform that promotes government and private-sector activities, particularly on Facebook.

Faye-Sonko Rift Deepens

The convictions come at a time of growing political uncertainty in Senegal following the public fallout between President Faye and Sonko.

The two men previously worked closely together and were instrumental in the rise of the PASTEF political movement, which eventually propelled them to power.

Their relationship has since deteriorated, exposing divisions within Senegal’s ruling camp.

Faye’s recent decision to launch his own political party has further widened the political divide between the two former allies.

The imprisonment of the three influencers has consequently added to an increasingly heated debate over political criticism, freedom of expression and the limits of online speech in Senegal.