An Arab man has been ordered by a Dubai court to pay Dh40,000 in compensation to a colleague after being convicted of insulting and threatening him through WhatsApp.
The case stemmed from a personal dispute between two former friends that escalated into the exchange of abusive language and threats on the messaging platform. The victim later filed an official complaint, triggering a criminal investigation.
The Dubai’s misdemeanours court found the defendant guilty of insult and threat. The court imposed a Dh5,000 fine, ordered the confiscation of the device used to commit the offence, and directed the defendant to delete the offensive messages. The related civil claim was subsequently referred to the competent civil court.
In its civil ruling, the Dubai court awarded the complainant Dh40,000 in moral damages, citing the psychological distress and reputational harm caused by verbal abuse on social media. The defendant was also ordered to pay legal interest at a rate of 5% from the date the judgment becomes final until full payment, in addition to court fees and expenses.
The court stressed that the findings of the criminal conviction were binding and could not be challenged in the civil case. It ruled that the defendant’s actions constituted a proven fault that resulted in significant moral damage, affecting the victim’s reputation, dignity, and social standing.
After assessing the circumstances and extent of the harm, the court concluded that the Dh40,000 compensation was fair and proportionate to the emotional distress caused by the offence.
