Saudi court sentences man to 15 days in prison for insulting preacher
Criminal Court also closes convict’s Twitter account for two years
Dubai: The Riyadh Criminal Court has sentenced a Saudi man to 15 days in prison and ordered the closure of his Twitter account for insulting preacher Ahmed Mohammed Al Hawashi, Okaz Arabic daily reported on Sunday.
In its final and binding verdict, the court also ordered the closure of the suspect’s account for two years for violating the anti- cybercrime law in the Kingdom.
The convict described Al Hawashi as ignorant via his Twitter account, warning people not to follow his advice and fatwas (religious edicts).
The convict accused Al Hawashi of heresy and misleading people, warning people against being captivated by his “misleading” preaching.
Prior to the final ruling, the Appeals Court rejected the defendant’s appeal and justifications in which he claimed that he did not mean to insult the preacher but to promote virtue and prevent vice and evil.
The ruling has been issued in line with the provisions of the Saudi anti-cybercrime law, which aims to secure the safe exchange of data, protect the rights of users of the internet, and to protect the public interest and morals as well as people’s privacy.