Two jailed in Senegal for criticizing PM Ousmane Sonko

A Senegalese court has jailed two men for “spreading false news” after they accused Prime minister Ousmane Sonko of tolerating homosexuality.

Activist Bah Diakhate and Imam Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Ndao were jailed for three months and fined 100,000 CFA francs ($165, £130) each.

They were arrested two weeks ago after posting a video attacking Mr Sonko for giving French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon a platform to give his opinion on same-sex marriages at a student forum in the capital, Dakar, in mid-May.

The political activist and the preacher were furious that Mr Sonko had allowed the far-left French politician to express support for same-sex marriages.

Homosexual acts are banned in the mainly Muslim West African country and are punishable by up to five years in prison.