Ana da Silva Miguel, a well-known social media influencer in Angola, who goes by the name Neth Nahara, has had her prison sentence increased to two years for what was deemed as “insulting” President João Lourenço on TikTok. Initially, she had received a six-month sentence in August, but an appeals court has now decided that the original punishment was too lenient and raised it to two years.
Ms. Miguel’s TikTok account became the center of controversy when she accused President Lourenço of causing “anarchy and disorganization” in the country and held him responsible for issues such as the lack of schools, housing, and employment opportunities.
President Lourenço, who was re-elected for a second term in August, continues the long-standing rule of the MPLA party, which has been in power since Angola’s independence in 1975. The party has faced allegations of presiding over a repressive regime.
The appeals court in the capital, Luanda, cited Ms. Miguel’s offensive statements against the president and her significant influence on public opinion as grounds for the harsher sentence.
Despite her plea for leniency as a first-time offender and a mother of young children who expressed regret for her remarks, the court rejected her request and ordered her to pay President Lourenço $1,200 (£1,000) as compensation for the alleged damage to his reputation.
Ms. Miguel, who boasts over 230,000 TikTok followers and garners thousands of views on her videos, has become the first person in Angola to be convicted for content posted on TikTok, according to her legal representative.
The verdict is considered final, as appeals to the Supreme Court are only permitted for sentences exceeding three years.
