Tanzanian comedian Idris Sultan is being held by the police for ‘swapping faces’ with President John Magufuli in an infamous photo.
The Big Brother Africa winner presented himself to the police on Wednesday evening after a comment under his post allegedly from the Regional Commissioner for Dar es Salaam, Paul Makonda ordered him to report to the nearest police station.
According to his lawyer, Sultan is yet to return home and is being held under the contentious Cybercrimes Act, which forbids using a computer system to “impersonate” someone else.
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Kwa siku moja tukabadilishana kazi ili a-enjoy birthday yake kwa amani 😂🙌🏽
Should he be convicted, the comedian will face a seven year jail term or a five million Tanzanian shillings fine.
Sultan is not the first high profile person to have a run in with the government that has been accused of infringing on its citizenry’s right of expression.
Earlier on in the year, journalist Eric Kabendera, was arrested and is now facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion.
On October 1, Kabendera’s lawyer Jebra Kambole asked President Magufuli to pardon his client after a court postponed a hearing into his case for a sixth time.
The journalist is being held at the Segerea prison, a maximum-security facility, on the outskirts of the capital, Dar es Salaam.
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