Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – The Dakar Criminal Court on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, handed down its verdict in the case involving columnist Abdou Nguer and his co-defendant Pape Amadou Ndiaye Diaw, acquitting both men of the charges of spreading false news and inciting crime but convicting Nguer of insulting the head of state.
The presiding judge found Abdou Nguer guilty of the latter offense and sentenced him to six months in prison, with three months suspended, and imposed a fine of 200,000 CFA francs. As Nguer had already served the full term of his sentence during pretrial detention, he is expected to be released immediately.
His lawyer, Alioune Badara Fall, expressed disappointment over the ruling, arguing that his client should have been acquitted of all charges.
“It’s a disappointment because he should have been acquitted on all counts. The charge of spreading false news for which he was arrested was dismissed by the judge, as was the charge of inciting crime. It goes without saying that his detention was arbitrary,” Fall said after the verdict.
The political commentator’s case has drawn attention in recent months as a test of press freedom and online speech in Senegal, particularly under the administration of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, which has pledged to uphold democratic freedoms while tackling the spread of disinformation online.
Nguer’s troubles began after a TikTok video in which he and co-defendant Diaw allegedly made remarks calling for an autopsy on the late Mamadou Badio Camara, the former President of the Constitutional Council, whose death had stirred speculation online.
The pair were accused of spreading false information and making comments deemed offensive to state authorities.
While the court ultimately dismissed the most serious charges, the conviction for insulting the head of state underscores the continuing tension between freedom of expression and the limits of criticism of public officials in Senegal.
Nguer has faced multiple legal battles in recent years. In a separate case earlier in 2025, he was questioned over alleged “defamatory remarks” made on social media about public figures.
His lawyers have repeatedly denounced what they describe as a pattern of judicial harassment against outspoken journalists and commentators.
Press freedom advocates say Nguer’s partial acquittal is a relief but argue that the conviction still sends a chilling message to independent voices critical of political power.
