Poet Convicted for Offensive Snapchat Posts Targeting Singer

The court confirmed that the defendant intentionally caused distress to the singer by publishing insulting and derogatory remarks on her Snapchat account during 2024.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with misusing communication devices to cause annoyance and emotional harm to the complainant.

A lower court initially acquitted the defendant and dismissed the related civil case. However, the High Criminal Court of Appeal later overturned the ruling and sentenced the defendant to six months in prison.

The custodial sentence was replaced with a formal undertaking preventing the defendant from approaching, contacting, or harassing the complainant in any form.

In its judgment, the Court of Cassation said the appellate court relied on sufficient evidence proving the singer was the intended target of the posts, despite her name not being directly mentioned.

The court stated that trial courts have the authority to determine the identity of individuals targeted by defamatory or insulting remarks based on context, surrounding circumstances and the content of the statements.

Court records showed the defendant published several connected Snapchat posts following the breakdown of a professional relationship between the two parties.

According to the ruling, the defendant avoided naming the complainant directly to evade legal responsibility, but the singer and others familiar with both parties were able to identify her from the posts.