Kuwaiti judge sentences man to 10 years in jail for Twitter insults

According to Fox news: A defense lawyer in Kuwait says a court has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for Twitter posts deemed insulting to Islam and to the rulers of Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.The case appears to reflect a growing conservative influence in Kuwait. Judge Hisham Abdullah delivered the written verdict, finding Hamad al-Naqi guilty of all charges, a court secretary. The judge found him guilty of insulting the Prophet, the Prophet's wife and companions, mocking Islam, provoking sectarian tensions, insulting the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and misusing his mobile phone to spread the comments. It's HIS mobile phone not the Government's. I thought you could do whatever you wanted with your property as long as it didn't cause physical harm to anyone?? "The prison sentence is long, but we have the chance to appeal," Khaled al-Shatti said. The sentence was the maximum that Naqi could have received, Shatti said, according to Reuters. Shatti is quoted Monday in Gulf media reports as saying his client has a chance to appeal the sentence. Under Kuwaiti law, the defense can file an appeal within 20 days of the verdict; jail sentences have been reduced in the past for similar convictions. Al-Naqi claims his Twitter account was hacked. Plaintiff Dowaem al-Mowazry argued in court that Al-Naqi must be made an example of, writing in a text message that "This verdict is a deterrent to those who insult the Prophet Muhammad, his companions and the mothers of the believers.