Kuwait court gives 10 years for Twitter `insults'
June 4, 2012
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KUWAIT CITY—A defense lawyer in Kuwait says a court has sentenced a man to 10 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, is quoted 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 Muhammad and the Gulf states of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain's Sunni monarchy has waged nearly 16 months of crackdowns against a Shiite-led uprising. Bahrain's rulers are strongly aided by neighboring Saudi Arabia.
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