Man fined Dhs25,000 for insulting woman via WhatsApp in UAE

Abdulrahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

The Al Ain Court of First Instance has ordered a man to pay a sum of Dhs25,000 in compensation to a woman whom he insulted via WhatsApp. The insult caused reputational damage and emotional distress to the woman.

The case papers indicate that the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the defendant, requesting a judgement that would require the latter to pay the plaintiff an amount of Dhs100,000 as compensation for damages incurred and legal interest on this amount from the date of filing the lawsuit until full payment.

Additionally, the judgement should include the defendant's obligation to pay fees, expenses and attorney's fees, and to include the judgement for expedited enforcement without bail. In support of her claim, the plaintiff asserted that the defendant had insulted her through the use of an information network. The defendant was subsequently convicted of this incident by a criminal court.

The plaintiff suffered significant damages, including reputational harm and emotional distress, which prompted her to file this lawsuit to claim compensation for the material and moral damage caused by the defendant. She submitted in support of her claim a copy of the WhatsApp conversation and a copy of the previous criminal judgement.