Three supporters of Senegal’s Pastef party and commentators for Feeñal Digital TV were arrested on July 27, 2026, by the Special Cybersecurity Division over a video deemed offensive to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
In a video posted on social media, Lamignou Darou, Oustaz Thiep, and Ndiaye Touba allegedly criticised President Faye, referring to him as a traitor and expressing ill wishes, including that he suffers a stroke and become paralysed.
Although they did not mention the President by name, their reference to “the one who betrayed Pastef’s vision” was widely understood as referring to President Faye. The public prosecutor subsequently opened an investigation and ordered their arrest.
On July 30, the three were brought before the Dakar Court and charged with “offending the head of state” and “speech contrary to public morals” under Articles 254 and 257 of the Senegalese Penal Code. They were placed in pretrial detention pending their hearing on August 3. If convicted, they face between six months and two years in prison.
Their arrest comes amid heightened political tensions following President Faye’s withdrawal from Pastef on July 25 and the launch of his own political party, KIIRAAY – Les Patriotes Républicains, which triggered criticism among some Pastef supporters.
The arrests raise concerns about the protection of freedom of expression in Senegal, particularly the use of criminal sanctions in response to political criticism.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) urges the Senegalese authorities to respect their constitutional and international obligations to protect freedom of expression and ensure that the three commentators are not deprived of their liberty for expressing political views.
