Lawyers representing jailed TikToker Ibarahim Musana, also known as Pressure 24/7, have filed an application for a production warrant. The warrant would allow them to bring him back to court and apply for bail.
In a letter dated February 27, 2024, addressed to the Chief Magistrate at Buganda Road Court, the lawyers from Musoke and Marzuq Advocates claim that their client urgently needs bail. They argue that Musana, who was remanded to Luzira Prison on February 23, 2024, and is due to return on March 7, 2024, requires continued medical attention at Butabika National Referral Hospital for mental illness.
“We are aware that the accused is asthmatic and that at the time of his arrest, he was an out patient at Butabika Hospital battling against mental illness that he was due for review,” the document reads in part.
On February 23, 2024, Pressure was remanded to Luzira Prison on eight counts of promoting hate speech. Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf despite Pressure’s claims of mental illness and lack of awareness of any wrongdoing when creating and posting videos in which he verbally abuses several individuals, including the Kabaka of Buganda, President Yoweri Museveni, and Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
The charges against him include hate speech and spreading malicious information, both contravening section 26(a) of the Computer Misuse Act of 2021.
When asked to plead to the charges, the TikToker caused laughter in the courtroom by stating he is “psychologically challenged” and was admitted to Butabika National Referral Hospital for mental health issues.
He further claimed to be possessed by the spirits of deceased Buganda kings, who allegedly ordered him to repair the Kasubi tombs, a task he lacks the financial means to undertake.
The troubled young man went on to say that, for the past two years, he has unsuccessfully attempted to contact the kingdom to explain his situation and the demands of the spirits, claiming to be a prince himself.
He then pleaded with the magistrate for forgiveness, promising to refrain from creating and posting similar videos in the future and to delete the existing ones from his TikTok page.
According to Prosecutor Joan Keko, between August 2023 and February 2024, in various locations within Kampala District, Pressure, using his TikTok account, shared information “likely to degrade or demean and promote hostility” against four leaders: Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, President Museveni, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, and State Minister for ICT, Joyce Naboosa Ssebugwawo.
His arrest followed complaints filed by Buganda Kingdom officials after videos surfaced where Pressure referred to the Kabaka as a “thief,” among other insults.
