A Tanzanian portrait artist, Shadrack Chaula, has been sentenced to two years in prison or a fine of $2000 (£1,600) after being found guilty of cybercrimes.
Chaula was arrested for allegedly recording a viral video showing him burning a picture of President Samia Suluhu Hassan while verbally insulting her.
The 24-year-old painter admitted committing the crime and failed to defend his actions in court. His arrest sparked legal controversy, with some lawyers arguing that no law was broken by burning a picture of the president.
The incident occurred on June 30 in Ntokela village, in the south-western city of Mbeya. According to police, Chaula used “strong words” against the president in the video he posted on his TikTok account.
Local police chief Benjamin Kuzaga stated that the artist’s offenses included burning the president’s portrait and disseminating offensive content online.
Despite this, the act sparked public outrage, and magistrate Shamla Shehagilo found Chaula guilty of distributing videos on TikTok that contained false information in violation of the country’s cyber laws. The court ruled that his actions constituted cyber-harassment and incitement.
Chaula remained silent when given the chance to defend himself against the charges, according to local media reports.
The prosecutor had urged the court to impose a harsh penalty on him to deter others from “disrespecting” the president.
In response to Chaula’s sentence, some social media users have started an online drive to raise money to pay his fine so he can be freed from jail.
SOURCE : NEWSREPORTZIM.COM
