A man was found to have posted photos online without consent and added insulting remarks.
The Dubai Civil Court has ordered a man to pay AED 80,000 in compensation to a lawyer after finding him liable for defamation, insult, and invasion of privacy. The case stemmed from social media posts that included the lawyer’s photo without consent, along with offensive remarks accusing him of “deceiving community personalities under the pretext of volunteer work.”
The court also ordered the removal of the defamatory content from all online platforms and imposed a three-month ban on the defendant’s use of information networks. The ruling was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation, making it final and binding.
In addition, the court directed the defendant to pay 5% annual legal interest from the date the judgment becomes final until full settlement, along with court fees, expenses, and legal costs.
The case arose from a civil lawsuit filed by the lawyer, who initially sought AED 5 million in compensation for material and moral damages resulting from the online publication.
According to court documents, the incident occurred in November 2024, when the defendant posted photos of the lawyer and others on social media, along with remarks accusing them of “exploiting community figures under the guise of volunteering.”
The posts led the lawyer to file a criminal complaint, resulting in the defendant’s conviction for using electronic means to insult, defame, and violate privacy.
The criminal court imposed a fine of AED 30,000, ordered the removal of the content from all social media platforms, and suspended the defendant’s access to information networks for three months after the judgment became final.
Subsequent appeals were rejected by the Court of Appeal, and the Court of Cassation dismissed the final challenge, thereby confirming the conviction.
In its ruling, the civil court stated that the final criminal judgment conclusively established the defendant’s liability for insult, defamation, and breach of privacy, leaving no grounds to re-examine those findings in the civil proceedings. The court also rejected the defendant’s claim that Dubai courts lacked jurisdiction, affirming that compensation claims can be heard where the harm occurred.
While the plaintiff sought compensation for both material and moral damages, including reputational harm affecting his legal practice, the court found insufficient evidence of financial loss.
However, it determined that the lawyer did suffer moral damages, including emotional distress caused by the publication of his photo and the accompanying offensive remarks, as well as the burden of pursuing legal action. On this basis, the court awarded AED 80,000 in compensation for moral damages and rejected the remainder of the claim.
