Dubai court fines man for defaming nurse in Google Reviews

The Dubai Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling against an Arab man convicted of defaming a nurse in an online review, ordering him to pay a fine of Dh5,000, with the sentence suspended for three years, while also confiscating his phone and requiring the removal of the offensive comments from Google Reviews.

The case began when an Arab nurse at a medical fitness centre in Dubai’s Karama district filed a complaint, saying she had been insulted and slandered while performing her duties, Al Khaleej Arabic daily reported.

 The nurse told investigators she had drawn blood from the defendant as part of a routine test for the renewal of his residency permit, only to later discover that he had filed a formal complaint accusing her of incompetence.

According to her testimony, the man alleged that she did not know how to insert a needle and further accused her of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs while at work. She said she was alerted by a colleague who found a defamatory review on Google repeating the same accusations.

An investigation by Dubai Police cybercrime unit traced the post back to the defendant, who eventually admitted writing the comments. In his statement, he said he had visited the centre to renew his residency when the nurse caused bleeding while drawing blood from his right arm, prompting him to file a complaint with the clinic and later post the review online.

The court’s decision underscores how the UAE’s judiciary is increasingly treating online defamation with the same seriousness as face-to-face slander, with penalties that extend beyond fines to include the removal of digital content.