On August 13, Angolan TikToker, Ana da Silva Miguel (also known as Neth Nahara) was arrested in Luanda, capital city of Angola. The next day, she was convicted to six months in prison for the crime of ‘outrage against the state, its symbols and bodies’ for recording a live video on TikTok criticizing the president. Following an appeal by the public prosecutor on September 27, her six months sentence was increased to two years in prison.
Since her arrest, Neth Nahara has been denied access to her daily medication, despite her complicated health condition. On December 3, she was hospitalized due to her deteriorating health. Her conviction and sentence stem from the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression. Neth Nahara must be immediately released.
Here’s what you can do:
Write to the Minister of Justice and Human Rights urging him to:
- Ensure that Neth Nahara is immediately released, since her conviction and ongoing arbitrary detention stem from the peaceful exercise of her human rights including freedom of expression.
- Pending her release, ensure she has immediate access to all necessary and adequate healthcare.
Write to:
Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Marcy Cláudio Lopes
Casarão da Justiça, Rua 17 de Setembro
Gombota, Luanda, LU, Angola
E-mail: dndh.mjdh.angola@gmail.com
Salutation: Dear Minister,
And copy:
Director of Human rights at Ministry of Justice –Ivan Levita
E-mail: ivanlevita@hotmail.com
The Secretary of State for Human Rights and Citizenship,
Secretary Ana Celeste Cardoso Januário
Email: anaceleste.januario@minjusdh.gov.ao or celestejanuario5@yahoo.com
Background
Neth Nahara, 31, is known as a digital influencer who uses her social media to comment on current issues in Angola, mainly involving famous artists and politicians. The singer and mother of two small children, has thousands of followers on social media. Neth Nahara is also known for her controversial and polemic positions and for sharing details of her personal life, such as her state of health and other day-to-day challenges. In 2020, she publicly announced HIV Positive diagnosis.
In the days leading up to the recording of her livestream on Tiktok, on August 12, 2023, in which she criticized the president of the republic, Neth Nahara had taken to social media to denounce the police’s attempt to seize her building materials, without a warrant, on one of her plots of land.
In Angola, in recent years, the free exercise of the right to freedom of expression has been under attack. Criticizing the President of the Republic is now a criminal offence. In October 2022, Kuduro singer Gilson Morreira (also known as Tanaice Neutro) was also sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for0 the crime of ‘Outrage against the State, its symbols and bodies’ after calling the President of the Republic a clown in one of his videos posted on Facebook.
