Hamad al-Naqi

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Detained Since: March 27, 2012.

Charges: Insulting the Prophet, the Prophet's wife and companions, mocking Islam, provoking sectarian tensions, insulting the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and misusing his mobile phone to spread the comments.

Sentence: Ten years in prison.

Biography: Hamad al-Naqi is a Shia Muslim who in February and March 2012 allegedly made a series of posts on Twitter critical of the Prophet Muhammad, his wife, his followers, and the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Several members of the National Assembly of Kuwait called for his death. Al-Naqi pled not guilty, arguing that he had not posted the messages, and that his account had been hacked. In June 2012, Al-Naqi was found guilty of "insulting the Prophet, the Prophet's wife and companions, mocking Islam, provoking sectarian tensions, insulting the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and misusing his mobile phone to spread the comments" and sentenced to ten years in prison. Al-Naqi was attacked within weeks of entering prison and has been held in solitary confinement for safety reasons. His lawyers appealed his sentence but, in July 2014, Kuwait's top court upheld his ten-year sentence.

Hamad al-Naqi was RELEASED in May 2018 after receiving a pardon.

Updates:

• After more than six years in prison, Hamad al-Naqi was pardoned in May 2018 (May 13, 2018, Al Qabas). This was confirmed by the prosecuting lawyer in his case (May 16, 2018, Sabr News).