Ivory Coast: a cyberactivist sentenced following calls for violence
The cyberactivist, known for her activism in favor of the ruling party, was arrested last Thursday following calls for violence and murder.
REUTERS - Kacper Pempel
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
A social media activist was sentenced to five years in prison for posting a clip in which she called for attacks on Nigerien nationals.
Reprisals following a video wrongly presented as representing Ivorians molested in Niger.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan,
Sidy Yansané
His face can be found everywhere on social networks and in the Ivorian press.
Nawa Fofana, 44, known for her activism in favor of the ruling party, was arrested last Thursday, May 20 following calls for violence and murder, explains the General Directorate of the National Police.
The cyberactivist was accused by a video, in which we hear her calling passers-by and pushing them to attack the Hausa community.
This video echoed another, falsely presented as showing Ivorians mistreated by Nigeriens in the Sahelian country.
A fake news which provoked
the violence last Wednesday in several communes
of Abidjan and some cities of the country.
Result: one death and many injured.
The day after his arrest, Nawa Fofana was presented to the judge for immediate appearance.
For having relayed this false information, she was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of two million CFA francs, the heaviest sentence in article 62 of the law on the fight against cybercrime.
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To read also: Ivory Coast: arrests after intercommunal violence following fake news
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Ivory Coast: arrests after intercommunal violence following fake news