This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
On August 1, 2019, a Ugandan court made a landmark ruling in the case of Dr Stella Nyanzi, a Makerere University academic, who was found guilty of cyber harassment.
Dr Nyanzi was charged with insulting President Yoweri Museveni, his wife Janet Museveni, and his late mother, Ms Esteri Kokundeka, in a Facebook post.
Although she was acquitted of offensive communication, the court found her guilty of cyber harassment, which carries a sentence of three years or a fine of 72 currency points.
Each currency point is equivalent to Ush20,000 ($5), making the total fine Ush1,440,000 ($360).
Dr Nyanzi, who represented herself in court, told the presiding magistrate Gladys Kamashanyu, "I can sacrifice motherhood to whatever altar I need to. I was born for this moment. I will speak to dictators in any language possible."
Dr Nyanzi has been in custody at the Luzira prison in Kampala since last year, and the ruling has been seen as a test case for reigning in cyber-based criticism in Uganda.
