Zero tolerance for hate speech: Court upholds peace, sends Bahraini ‘influencer’ to jail

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Lower Criminal Court has sentenced a Bahraini man to three months in prison after he was found guilty of publicly inciting hatred and contempt against a religious group, thereby threatening societal peace.

He was also fined BD100 and faced confiscation of his mobile phone, which was used in the crime.

The incident came to light after the Public Prosecution received a report from the Cybercrime Unit of the General Directorate for Combating Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security.

Video recording

The report detailed a video recording of a Bahraini man with tens of thousands of followers on his social media account.

In the video, he is seen walking through a residential area, addressing a religious group in a manner that incites hatred and contempt towards them.

The Public Prosecution conducted investigations, confirming the authenticity of the video and identifying the accused.

He was summoned for questioning and admitted to posting the video, claiming it was intended as a joke.

Justification

However, the prosecution rejected this justification, considering the video’s potential to incite sectarian strife and disrupt societal harmony.

The court, after reviewing the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, found the accused guilty of the charges against him.

He was sentenced to three months in prison, fined BD100, and had his mobile phone confiscated. The court also ordered the video to be removed from social media platforms.