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Kuwait Man Gets 2 Years for Tweet Insulting Emir

Country is cracking down on social media

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 7, 2013 2:02 AM CST

(Newser) – A Kuwaiti man will spend the next two years of his life in prison over a tweet, as the Gulf nation continues its crackdown on dissent in social media. The man, who has 5,700 Twitter followers, received a 2-year sentence for a tweet deemed to have "stabbed the rights and powers" of the country's ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Saba, Reuters reports. Small-scale demonstrations on local issues are tolerated in Kuwait, but the country has so far avoided Arab-Spring style mass unrest.

Negative tweets about this man can get you locked up in Kuwait.
Negative tweets about this man can get you locked up in Kuwait.   (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 10 comments
Joe_American
Jan 10, 2013 2:00 AM CST
This is just wrong!  Freedom of Speech and Expression is sacred.  President Obama should help free this Kuwaiti man!  Kuwait is an American ally!  We can not let the Kuwaiti ruler to prevent freedom of Speech.  Kuwait should not become Iran.  Iran is the filthiest country with regards to opposition to freedom of speech.  Kuwait is not Iran!  
cliffofidaho
Jan 7, 2013 5:15 PM CST
Wow, another country run by the religion of peace shutting down its people.  That's why everyone over there seem like lost sheep...any free-thinking, independent is imprisoned or beheaded.  Got to love the middle east. 
WarmWeatherGuy
Jan 7, 2013 9:20 AM CST
To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize. - Voltaire
 

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