A court in Senegal sentenced two lawmakers on Monday to six months in jail for assaulting a pregnant colleague on 1 December during an acrimonious parliamentary session that degenerated into a full-blown brawl.

The men, Amadou Niang and Massata Samb of the opposition PUR party, were also ordered to pay a total of 5 million CFA francs (about $8 200) in compensation to lawmaker Amy Ndiaye Gniby of the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition.

In a chaotic televised scene that shocked Senegal, Samb slapped Gniby in the face during a budget debate in the National Assembly after she scoffed at his remarks in criticism of her.

Gniby responded by throwing a chair at Samb and was then pushed to the ground by other lawmakers and kicked in the abdomen by Niang.

The brawl worsened political tensions in Senegal that have risen since the ruling party lost its comfortable majority in a July legislative election.

The loss was widely seen as a rebuke of President Macky Sall amid uncertainty over whether he will seek a third term in 2024, a move the opposition says would be in breach of term limits and of an earlier promise.

Sall, 60, has refused to state clearly whether he plans to run again.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred

In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won’t be billed.