Twitter Users Getting Jail Terms In Gulf States

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Arab States in the Gulf continue an extensive crackdown on the use of social media as more Twitter users are being sent to jail over comments either regarded denigrating to the authorities or insulting Prophet Mohammed.

A Kuwait court has sentenced a man identified as Musaab Shamsah to five years in prison on Monday for a Twitter message posted in May that authorities said insulted the Prophet Mohammed.

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The post, since taken down, made references to the Prophet’s descendants, reported the Associated Press news agency.

In a similar case, another man named Waleed al-Shehhi was jailed for two years and fined $137,000 in the United Arab Emirates for a message posted in May about the trial of 94 men accused of links to an armed group.

Authorities said the message violated state security.

In July, 69 of the defendants were convicted of trying to overthrow the state.

There was no immediate comment from authorities in either country on the cases.

Meanwhile three lawyers are facing trial over social media posts allegedly criticising authorities in Saudi Arabia.

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