Kuwaiti Woman Jailed For 11 Years Over Tweets

Even in the “Western world” what you say on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can have serious consequences. There have been cases of libel, slander and defamation emerging from things being said on Facebook and Twitter in addition to Facebook and Twitter being used as sources of evidence in police investigations such as the girl in the UK who claimed to have run down a cyclist whilst driving. Yet in the “Western world” there is still free speech to talk against your government and express discontent for the political system and practices of your country.

Kuwait recently showed that they offer no such political free speech after they jailed one of their female citizens for a staggering 11 years after she called for the Kuwaiti people to overthrow their regime, the Huffington Post reports. Houda al-Ajmi was convicted of three counts: insulting the emir, calling to overthrow the regime and misuse of her cell phone. Houda al-Ajmi denied all the charges and will begin her sentence immediately although she can file an appeal against the ruling to the country’s supreme court. The conviction is part of a Kuwaiti government crack-down against online activists seeking to spread anti-government messages.

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Image courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk