A man in the UAE has been fined AED 70,000 for posting defamatory remarks online that harmed a business’s reputation and caused financial losses.
According to a Gulf News report, the ruling was handed down by the Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Claims, which found the young man liable for damaging the image of a commercial establishment through comments made on social media. The posts, which the court described as defamatory, were ruled to have negatively impacted the business’s standing and revenue.
The business owner had initially sought AED 200,000 in damages, citing both material and moral harm, along with legal costs. He argued that the public nature of the comments led to a direct decline in his shop’s performance and credibility.
The man had already been convicted in a criminal court over the same incident. During the civil proceedings, he asked the court to reject the claim or at least verify the business’s actual revenue loss by requesting tax records from the Federal Tax Authority. He also submitted several documents, including chat screenshots, in an attempt to support his defense.
Despite this, the court upheld the previous criminal conviction and concluded that the business owner was entitled to financial compensation. The defendant was ordered to pay AED 70,000 for the harm caused.