Uganda's Stella Nyanzi acquitted of insulting president

Ugandan academic and activist Dr Stella Nyanzi has won an appeal in the High Court, for a case in which she had been convicted of cyber-harassing President Yoweri Museveni.

The judge ruled that she be released immediately, adding that the lower court which convicted her lacked jurisdiction, and that she had not be given a fair hearing, because she was denied the opportunity to prepare her defense.

Ms Nyanzi was convicted over a September 2018 Facebook post in which she referred to the president's mother's private parts.

She was sentenced to 18 months in jail in August 2019, and was already nearing the end of her jail term.

Ms Nyanzi refused bail during her trial, and had therefore already served nine months in jail when she was convicted.

She blew kisses but also flashed the middle finger when the verdict was read out.

Before the court session started, she had been posing for photos, and promoting her recently-published collection of prison poetry.