Viral online goat prank lands Bahraini man in legal trouble, ends with community service as punishment

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini man’s viral prank video featuring a goat dressed in traditional clothing has sparked a legal battle, highlighting the complexities of online mockery and its potential repercussions.

The man, who used social media to mock the appearance of a previously convicted hate speech perpetrator, initially faced a one-month prison sentence for harming the victim’s honour and reputation.

However, the sentence was later replaced with community service. Initially, the Minor Criminal Court sentenced the defendant to imprisonment after he was found guilty of harming the victim’s honour and reputation.

The court later granted him bail of BD50 and decreed that the term of imprisonment be substituted with an equivalent tenure of community service.

This affair began when the aggrieved party, who had been imprisoned for inciting hatred against a specific group, filed a complaint with the Public Prosecution after discovering the defendant’s video.

The video, which gained traction on social media platforms, featured the defendant parodying the victim’s appearance by dressing a goat in a traditional ghitrah and iqal and adding the clip’s audio to the footage.

The Public Prosecution investigated the complaint and interrogated the defendant, who admitted to filming the clip with the intention of deriding the victim.

Investigation

He was then ordered to be provisionally detained pending an investigation and referred to the Third Minor Criminal Court.

The defendant’s actions were deemed to have infringed upon the victim’s dignity and reputation, leading to the initial prison sentence.

However, the subsequent leniency of the court in favour of community service suggests an acknowledgement of the defendant’s remorse and the potential for rehabilitation through community engagement.