The Kuwaiti appeals court has upheld a 10-year prison sentence for a blogger's comments on Twitter.
It confirmed the conviction and sentence of Hamad al-Naqi, who was found guilty in June of insulting the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, of provoking sectarian tensions, of insulting the Prophet Mohammed and the prophet's wife and companions, mocking Islam, and misusing his mobile phone to disseminate the objectionable comments.
Al-Naqi denied all the charges, contending that someone had hacked his Twitter account and impersonated him.
The ruling is a violation of the right to free speech in Kuwait, said Human Rights Watch (HRW).
"Ten years in prison for peaceful criticism shows just how little Kuwait respects freedom of expression," said Joe Stork, HRW's deputy Middle East director.
Source: HRW
