Kuwait gives man five-year jail sentence for 'defaming' Saudi Arabia on Twitter

A Kuwaiti man has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of  "defaming" Saudi Arabia on Twitter earlier this week, according to local media.

The defendant was identified by Kuwaiti portal Media Court as Salman Al-Khaldi, according to reports.

He was also convicted of disseminating "false news" in the verdict passed by the Kuwait Criminal Court on Tuesday, according to Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai.

The nature of Al-Khaldi’s tweets was not revealed.

This is not the first time Kuwait has jailed citizens for social posts considered insulting and defamatory towards Saudi Arabia or other Gulf allies.

The country previously sentenced blogger Abdullah Al-Saleh to five years in prison for allegedly insulting Riyadh in 2017.

The social media influencer’s support for regional rival Qatar amid the now ended Saudi-led blockade in Yemen was said to have offended Riyadh.

Al-Saleh had in the past served jail time for insulting the UAE and other offences, regional media reported.

Lawyer Abdul Hamid Dashti, another outspoken critic of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Yemen war, was imprisoned after a Saudi defamation lawsuit was brought against him.

Dashti, who has also condemned Riyadh’s involvement in Bahrain's crackdown on dissidents, was later acquitted.

Kuwait has also imprisoned individuals accused of insulting the country's emir. Kuwait is considered the most 'free' country in the Gulf state, with an elected parliament although the emir and royal family still have considerable power.

Since the onset of the Arab Spring in late 2010, Kuwait has suppressed freedom of speech and used the constitution and security laws to stifle political dissent, according to rights groups.