Court dismisses blogger’s appeal against six-month jail

Lawyer’s case against minister thrown out

KUWAIT CITY, April 15: The Court of Cassation, presided over by Judge Saleh Al-Muraeshid, has dismissed an appeal filed by columnist and blogger Mohammad Al-Mulaifi against a court verdict that sentenced him to six months in jail with hard labor.

Earlier, the Court of Appeals overruled verdict of the Court of First Instance that sentenced the suspect to seven years in jail with hard labor for immediate execution. The same court later sentenced the suspect to six months with hard labor for posting statements deemed offensive to a religious group on Twitter.

The civil aspect of the case was referred to the specialized civil court, while the court acquitted him of spreading false information about the authority. Case dismissed: The Special FactFinding Commission for the Judgment of Ministers, under the chairmanship of Judge Ali Bu Qamaz, dismissed the case filed by Attorney Duwaim Al-Muwaiziri against State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah for wasting public money when he called on the citizens to participate in the last elections.

The commission cancelled the case due to the absence of the elements of crime.

It has been reported that Al-Muwaiziri filed a case against the minister after the Ministry of Information broadcasted text and audiovisual messages, in addition to posting announcements on the roads and websites, to encourage the citizens to participate in the elections. ‘Retweet punishable’: Attorney Hawra Al-Habib said anyone who reposts a tweet posted by someone convicted of a crime through the final ruling of the Court of Cassation is considered an accomplice.

Al-Habib confirmed that the court, through this decision, has created a precedent in terms of charging whoever retweets the post of the accused. She explains those who retweet such posts will be charged according to decision of the Court of Cassation, not the preliminary rulings of the First Instance and Appeals courts. She pointed out the concerned officials must warn the public against reposting statements deemed offensive to others in order to avoid legal problems.