The Ivorian public prosecutor has issued a stern warning to social media users after the arrests of two individuals accused of committing serious online offenses, reaffirming the state’s resolve to clamp down on digital misconduct.
In a statement released on Monday, the prosecutor highlighted that, despite repeated alerts regarding the rising tide of social media abuses, “some people continue to be guilty of acts, remarks or comments constituting offenses against criminal law.”
The prosecutor’s office has reportedly received numerous complaints from citizens over offensive online conduct, including xenophobic or ethnic slurs, threats of death and violence, incitement to hatred, and the spread of false information.
“The latest examples concern Tokpa Flan Japhet, 43, a state-certified nurse, who, on July 5, 2025, made an extremely outrageous comment on social media about an Institution of the Republic, and Diakité Moussa, who, brandishing a machete in a video, issued death threats against supporters of a political group,” the note stated.
Authorities confirmed that Japhet was tried and sentenced on July 18, 2025, to 36 months in prison and a fine of 5 million CFA francs, despite his plea for leniency. Meanwhile, Diakité Moussa has been taken into custody and is set to appear before the Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
“This is the place for the public prosecutor to point out that neither repentance, which is always late, nor the request for forgiveness, have any effect on the reality of the offences, and cannot, consequently, exempt their perpetrators from the rigour of the law,” the statement warned.
The prosecutor further cautioned that his office is “determined to prosecute” those guilty of such online violations, regardless of whether they reside in Côte d’Ivoire or abroad.
The crackdown underscores the government’s growing concern over the escalating misuse of social media platforms, which authorities say threatens social cohesion and public order.
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