Abu Dhabi court orders woman to pay Dh20,000 over social media insults

Abu Dhabi: A woman did not realise that a few insulting words posted on social media would end up costing her thousands of dirhams in compensation. But a court in Abu Dhabi has now ordered her to pay Dh20,000 to two women after ruling that her online remarks damaged their honour and reputation.

The decision, according to Al Khaleej newspaper, was issued by the Abu Dhabi Court for Family, Civil and Administrative Cases, following a previous criminal conviction against the defendant for using abusive and defamatory language through a social media platform.

The two complainants had filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh51,000 in damages, saying they had suffered both material and emotional harm as a result of the incident. They also asked the court to order the defendant to cover legal costs and fees.

According to court filings, the defendant had directed offensive and honour-damaging insults at the women online, prompting them to pursue criminal action. The criminal court found her guilty, which enabled the victims to seek financial compensation through civil proceedings.

In its ruling, the court concluded that the defendant’s actions had caused reputational and psychological harm, awarding the claimants Dh20,000. She was also ordered to bear the related legal expenses.