An unidentified Saudi man has been sentenced to 80 lashes and 3 months in jail, after being convicted of defaming a Kuwaiti singer by accusing her of adultery on Twitter.
The man reportedly accused pop singer Shams of adultery "without providing proof" of her affair. According to the Saudi Sabq news agency, he also posted fabricated photos showing Shams in "obscene" positions.
The singer immediately filed a libel suit against the man. The news agency provides that the verdict was based on sharia law, which states those who accuse others of adultery must be flogged.
The man, believed to have been a fan of a rival singer, was also fined 10,000 riyals (£1,600), reports say.
About 41 % of Saudi Arabia's population of 28.3m use Twitter according to Business Insider. This figure makes a higher percentage than anywhere else globally.
The country also has more YouTube users per capita than any other country in the world, despite wide reaching online censorship laws that block access to thousands of websites on the basis of content.
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