Kuwait: 20 month term for insulting US,UK envoys on Instagram 

A Kuwaiti court has sentenced an expatriate to 20 months in prison and a fine of 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars ($3,300) for misusing his phone and insulting the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) ambassadors, Al-Rai reported yesterday.

The defendant will also be deported after serving his sentence, legal sources said. He was convicted of “taking hostile action against the USA and UK,” according to the paper.

The sources pointed out that the man, whose nationality was not identified, had criticised the foreign diplomats through a post on Instagram. No “threatening phrases” were used in the social media post, they added.

READ: Iran summons Kuwait envoy in Tehran to protest about ‘anti-Iranian’ meeting

In October, a Kuwaiti social media influencer was arrested after dressing up as the “Joker” and posting pictures online.

Following his detention, a security source warned “citizens and residents against committing any acts that would destabilise security and spread fear”.

In August, an Iranian social media influencer was arrested in Kuwait over allegations of “insulting God” in a comedy skit posted online.