Woman Gets 70 Lashes For Insulting Saudi Arabian Man On WhatsApp

daniel russell

March 16, 2015 3:24 PM

A 32-year-old woman will receive 70 lashes and have to pay USD 5,332 fine for defaming a Saudi man on an instant messaging application.

A 32-year-old woman will receive 70 lashes and have to pay USD 5,332 (GHC 19515.12) fine for defaming a Saudi man on an instant messaging application.

The woman, whose nationality is not known pleaded guilty to ruining the reputation of the Saudi man through the mobile chat site following an argument between them.

According to the country's anti-cyber crime laws any person who commits who defames or inflicts damage upon others through the use of various information technology devices "shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding USD 133,300.00 (GHC 487878.00)or to either punishment."

Last July two women from Jeddah were also given 20 lashes after insulting each other on WhatsApp and jailed for 10 days, ibtimes.co.uk reports.

Despite the judge wanting the pair – reportedly cousins - to settle their dispute out of court, neither side was prepared to apologise.

Similarly American expat Ryan Pate could face five years in jail after breaking Abu Dhabi's anti-cyber laws when he complained about his employer Global Aerospace Logisitics (Gal) on Facebook – reportedly calling them "backstabbers" after failing to extend his sick leave. His trial starts tomorrow, (17 March).

Last year, British woman Roya Saberinejad Nobakht, 48, from Stockport was jailed for 20 years in Iran after criticising the government on Facebook.

A petition has now been launched by her family and friends to free her amid claims she is being tortured in prison.

daniel russell