An Abu Dhabi civil court has ordered a man to pay Dh20,000 in compensation to a woman after finding him liable for threatening and blackmailing her, causing emotional and psychological harm. The ruling was issued by the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court following a civil case linked to an earlier criminal conviction.
Court records showed that the woman filed a lawsuit seeking Dh250,000, which she claimed the man had extorted through threats and coercion, as well as an additional Dh150,000 in damages for emotional distress. She also asked the court to order the defendant to cover legal fees and related expenses. The woman alleged that she was pressured into transferring money to prevent the man from filing a complaint against her.
The case stemmed from a criminal proceeding in which the man was convicted of threatening and blackmailing the woman through electronic communication. According to the judgment, the defendant demanded money in exchange for refraining from legal action, actions which the court said caused the woman significant distress and anxiety.
While the court recognised the emotional harm suffered by the plaintiff and ruled that compensation was warranted under the UAE Civil Transactions Law, it dismissed her claim for the alleged Dh250,000. The court noted that the criminal judgment did not confirm that any money had actually been received by the defendant and that the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient proof of the alleged transfers.
In its final ruling, the court ordered the defendant to pay Dh20,000 in compensation for moral damages, along with court fees and legal costs, while rejecting all other claims.
