Event Summary
On 8 January 2026, the Director of Communications for the Presidency of the Refoundation of the Republic issued an official statement regarding online comments targeting senior government officials.
In this statement, the authorities affirm their recognition of freedom of expression and public debate, including criticism of the government. However, they accuse certain individuals, including persons residing abroad, and social media accounts and pages, of insults, attacks on human dignity, and incitement to hatred against senior public officials.
The statement indicates that these acts constitute criminal offenses under Law No. 2014-006 of July 17, 2014, on the fight against cybercrime, supplemented and amended by Law No. 2016-031 of July 15, 2016, in particular Article 20. It specifies that online comments constituting insults, defamation, or attacks on the honor of a senior official are considered an attack on the dignity of the state institution that he or she represents.
In this statement, the authorities announced the initiation of legal proceedings against the alleged authors of these online comments, asserting that these measures are intended to uphold the rule of law and regulate the exercise of freedom of expression. This statement comes amid an active public debate on national affairs, marked by increased participation by citizens and the diaspora on social media.