Man imprisoned for distributing private photos of ex-wife

By ARAB NEWS | Arab News – Fri, Feb 22, 2013 source:

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  Arab News – Man imprisoned for distributing private photos of ex-wife

A court sentenced a man and his accomplice to prison after he published his ex-wife’s photos on the mobile messaging app WhatsApp and via email, Al-Yaum daily reported.

The District Court in Qatif governorate sentenced the ex-husband to six months in jail, 80 lashes and fined him SR20,000, whilst the accomplice was sentenced to four months in jail, 80 lashes and a SR10,000 fine.

The income from the fines will go to the Ministry of Finance to spend it on programs to benefit the public.

The two defendants indicated they would appeal the verdict, whereas the public prosecutor called for a harsher sentence. The sentenced now have 30 days to appeal the verdict in line with regulation.

The victim had accused her ex-husband, who works for a bank, of distributing private pictures of her as no one else has them but him. She claimed he did it as an act of revenge after she asked for a divorce. She also said that he had stolen money from her.

The woman contacted the police before going to the courts, where she provided substantial evidence against her ex-husband.

“I had a SIM card on which threatening messages were sent by my ex-husband from his mobile phone plus voice recordings of several people connected to the case were recorded,” said the victim.

The woman said that a relative of her ex-husband tried to persuade her to drop the case.

The judge heard three witnesses who confirmed that they received pictures of the woman and her daughter on their mobiles.

The woman also mentioned that the Appeals Court in the Eastern Province ordered her ex-husband to return SR142,000 that he borrowed from her but did not pay back.