Hasan Al Naser Saudi Gazette QATIF — The Qatif Province District Court issued a ruling against a 25-year-old Saudi of a suspended four months imprisonment, and a SR10,000 fine, after it was proven that he had defamed someone through the Twitter social network due to an simmering dispute. An citizen had filed a complaint with the security forces in Qatif Province, against the Saudi for defamation through the social networking site — Twitter. The man has admitted his wrong doing, and accepted the judgment issued against him. The court asserted that complaints of libel and defamation by using electronic and media means are punishable crimes by imprisonment and a fine, and that the third article of the Information Anti-Crime Act provides for a maximum penalty of one year's imprisonment, and a fine of SR500,000, or either one. However, the judge was satisfied with the fine only, due to circumstances. The source pointed out that evidence is a prerequisite and an important part of a series of measures to prosecute electronic defamation perpetrators, to affix the legal punishment of public and private rights against the perpetrator.
