Blogger awarded BD400 over emotional distress

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini man, who was previously fined BD50 for misusing telecommunications devices, has now been ordered to pay BD400 in damages to a blogger after a court found his comments had caused her emotional distress.

A civil court ruled that the defendant’s remarks on one of the blogger’s posts had resulted in psychological harm. He had previously been convicted in a criminal court and fined for online misconduct.

Following that ruling, the blogger sought compensation through the civil courts, which upheld her claim and ordered the defendant to cover legal fees.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Fatema Al Thuwaini, said her client had endured harassment and distress after the defendant posted offensive comments in response to her content.

Investigation

A complaint was lodged with the Cybercrime Directorate, leading to an investigation and subsequent prosecution.

Al Thuwaini argued that the defendant’s words had caused harm by subjecting her client to personal attacks. The defendant’s lawyer, however, maintained that the remarks were general in nature and not aimed directly at the blogger.

He also challenged the BD1,200 compensation claim, calling it excessive and pointing out that his client, a family man earning BD300 a month, was struggling with debts and financial commitments.