Lawyer who defamed MP online spared jail

TDT | Manama

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A lawyer who insulted a sitting MP online during a by-election has avoided prison, despite having his two-month sentence and BD500 fine upheld by the High Criminal Appeals Court.

The court agreed to replace the jail term with a non-custodial punishment following a request by the defendant.

He had used his social media account to target the MP during the campaign, posting videos that accused him of misconduct and used language intended to mock and belittle.

The Public Prosecution charged him with public insult, defamation, spreading false news to sway voters, and misusing telecommunication tools.

Behaviour

Footage examined during the investigation showed the lawyer making a series of claims about the MP’s behaviour during the by-election, many of which were untrue.

He also used terms that, prosecutors said, were intended to damage the MP’s standing and reputation. The case began with a complaint from the MP, who said the videos were posted at the height of the vote in Muharraq Governorate. Prosecutors questioned him, reviewed the recordings, and referred the lawyer to the Lower Criminal Court.

The original conviction was upheld on appeal, though the jail time was replaced with an alternative penalty