A POLITICIAN IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DRC) HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR INSULTING THE PRESIDENT.
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T he politician, Jean-Marie Kasongo, was found guilty of "insulting the head of state" after he made a Facebook post in which he criticized President Félix Tshisekedi. In the post, Kasongo accused Tshisekedi of being corrupt and of failing to address the country's problems. Insulting the head of state is a criminal offense in the DRC, and this verdict is not the first of its kind. In 2019, a Congolese activist was sentenced to one year in prison for insulting the president on social media. The use of such laws to silence political opposition and dissent has been criticized by human rights organizations. Kasongo's sentence has been condemned by human rights groups, who say it is a violation of freedom of expression. The DRC has a history of jailing critics of the government, and this case is seen as a further erosion of freedom of speech in the country. The case has also sparked protests in the DRC, with demonstrators calling for Kasongo's