Kuwait court gives man ten years for Twitter ‘insults’

Kuwait City: A defence lawyer in Kuwait says a court has sentenced a man to ten years in prison for Twitter posts deemed insulting to Islam and to the rulers of Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The case appears to reflect a growing conservative influence in Kuwait.

The lawyer, Khaled Al Shatti, was quoted in Monday in Gulf media reports as saying his client, Hamad Al Naqi, has a chance to appeal the sentence.

Al Naqi claims his Twitter account was hacked.

Prosecutors say Al Naqi’s account contained posts insulting to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Gulf states of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.