In Ogan, two people were arrested on charges in Iran against "the first family," insulting President Yury Muzeven and the first lady Janet Muzeven, as well as reporting President General Mokhazi Keniroga on TikTok. Judge Stella Marie As Amabelis ordered to detain 21-year-old David Ssingozi, known as "Laki Chuyz," and 28-year-old Isaiya Sekadzhiri under the jurisdiction of Kigo prison. They were first presented with accusations of spreading hateful expressions and disseminating harmful information about "the first family" and musicians associated with the ruling National Resistance Movement. Both deny the charges.
The authorities accused Ssingozi and Sekadzhiri along with 19-year-old Julius Taiupa, who has already been presented before the court and was placed under similar criminal charges. Official sources claim that the defendants spread information on TikTok, aimed at "mocking, insulting, and diminishing the significance of the first family, as well as inciting hatred against the first family in the country and to other people." The court decided to keep them under detention as police reported that investigations into this matter continue.
In September, a police officer from Rosoky Kituma warned that insulting the president, referred to as "a source of shame," is considered a crime. A prominent TikTok user, known as "Laki Chuyz," was later arrested, and an investigation is underway with him. A video shared in April on the "Laki Chuyz" page titled "My First Outburst" criticized the first family using crude and vulgar expressions. In July, a 24-year-old couple was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting the president and the first family also on the TikTok platform. The defendant confessed his guilt and requested clemency.
This occurs at a time when the Ogan government faces criticism for limiting the population's ability to criticize the actions of state officials. Last year, the U.S. government accused Ogan of restricting internet freedom with criminal penalties imposed. Regular human rights groups condemn Ogan's authorities for violations of human rights and freedom of expression. In 2022, a prominent Ogan author was accused in two instances of "insulting behavior" following expressions about the president and his spouse on Twitter, after which he fled the country to Germany, spending a month in prison, where he claimed he was tortured.
