Here’s a concise four-paragraph rewrite in a neutral AP-style format, keeping the reported facts intact. (Africanews)

A Senegalese court has sentenced three TikTok influencers to prison over posts deemed insulting to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The convictions have sparked concerns about freedom of expression and the treatment of political speech online in the West African country.

Mandoumbe Diop, known online as Lamignou Darou, received the harshest sentence of three months in prison without suspension. Diop, who has more than 500,000 TikTok followers, is among the creators working with Feenal Digital, an online content platform. Magueye Diaw, known as Oustaz Thiep, and Moustapha Ndiaye, known as Ndiaye Touba, were each sentenced to two months without suspension and fined 500,000 CFA francs, about $800.

The three influencers were represented by lawyer Abdy Nar Ndiaye, who argued that the videos were comedy content and did not warrant criminal prosecution. Feenal Digital describes itself as a platform that promotes government and private-sector activities on Facebook, while observers say some of its content is favorable toward former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the PASTEF leader.

The case comes amid growing political tensions between Faye and Sonko, who were once close allies and played central roles in PASTEF’s rise. Their public split has exposed divisions within Senegal’s ruling camp, with Faye recently launching his own political party. The latest convictions have intensified debate over political expression and social media in Senegal.