A young Tanzanian portrait artist, Shadrack Chaula, was released from prison after social media users raised over $2,000 (£1,600) to pay his fine. Convicted of cybercrimes last week, Chaula faced either the fine or two years in prison for recording a viral video where he burned a picture of President Samia Suluhu Hassan while insulting her.
“Thank you very much fellow Tanzanians for coming to my rescue,” Chaula told journalists following his release on Monday. The case caused widespread outrage, with some lawyers arguing that the 24-year-old painter did not break any law by burning the picture. Police arrested him for using “strong words” against President Samia in the TikTok video he recorded in Ntokela village, near Mbeya.
Charged with spreading false information about the president in court last Thursday, Chaula admitted to the crime. The court ruled that his actions amounted to cyber-harassment and incitement. Critics deemed the sentence overly harsh, while the prosecution argued for a severe penalty to deter others from disrespecting the president.
In 2018, Tanzania enacted strict laws against the spread of “fake news,” which critics viewed as a move to suppress freedom of expression. Social media users, led by activist Godlisten Malisa, raised $2,100 in six hours to pay Chaula’s fine. Malisa stated that the remaining $100 was given to Chaula to support his artwork.
In an Instagram post, Malisa remarked that the contributions served as a “lesson” for the government. He highlighted that despite many Tanzanians facing high living costs, they rallied to help Chaula. Lawyer Peter Kibatala noted that social media users not only secured Chaula’s release but also upheld freedom of expression.
After taking office in 2021, President Samia introduced reforms to grant political parties and civic groups more freedom. However, opposition and rights groups have raised concerns that the government might be reverting to repressive practices.
