Maliyaia Rihasanai

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Maliyaia Rihasanai
NationalityAndamonian
Known for2016 presidential candidate
MovementAndamonians for a Traditional Tomorrow
Criminal charge(s)Hate speech
Criminal penalty3 years in prison
2 years community service

Maliyaia Rihasanai is an Andamonian politician and former presidential candidate. Founder of Andamonians for a Traditional Tomorrow, she was convicted in 2017 for remarks, later deemed to have been hate speech, made during her presidential campaign.

Presidential campaign

Rihasanai's presidential campaign was initially relatively minor, netting her less than 0.5% of the national vote in late October. Her platform targetted women at home, encouraging them to preserve Andamonian traditions and to support the national economy with domestic industries. This changed relatively abruptly to an anti-immigrant stance which earned her animosity from most minority groups in Andamonia, though her polling soared to 9%. Verbal attacks made against Heidish Christians saw her broadly condemned by leaders of the Andamonian state religion of which she is a member.[1] Days before the election, remarks she made to the National Committee on Toleration and Equality regarding members of Kylarnatia's Silvier Sacerdotium were characterised as "abusive and irrational" as she described the religion as "devil worship." These episodes saw her projected share of first preference votes plummet to 4%.[2][3] She was eliminated after the twenty-fifth round of ballot-counting.[4]

Hate speech trial

Rihasanai's remarks made during the campaign remained a hot topic in Andamonian politics after the election, as President Azanj Timaloc and his officials failed to formally apologise despie pressure from the Silvier Sacerdotium and within Andamonia.[5] She was tried in June 2017 and found guilty of hate speech, for which she received a sentence of three years in prison to be followed by two years of community service. Timaloc subsequently issued an apology described as "long overdue."[6][7]

References