The Dubai Appellate Court has upheld a previous verdict by the Court of First Instance, ordering a young Arab man to pay a Dh5,000 fine for defaming a nurse in a Google review. In addition to the fine, the court also suspended the sentence for three years, confiscated his mobile phone, and instructed him to delete the offensive online comment. The ruling is final and can only be contested before a higher court.
According to a Gulf Today report, the case began after a nurse working at a medical fitness centre in Al Karama filed a complaint alleging she was insulted and publicly defamed while on duty. The incident happened in the facility’s phlebotomy section, where she was tasked with taking a blood sample from the man as part of his residency renewal process.
The nurse claimed that the man accused her of being intoxicated at work—a grave allegation that triggered an internal probe. She later discovered a harsh and personal review about her and the medical facility on Google, alerting authorities to the issue.
A team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) traced the digital footprint to the young man and arrested him. During questioning, he admitted to publishing the review. He alleged that the nurse had mishandled the blood extraction, causing pain and bruising on both hands, which led him to file a formal complaint and post his experience online in both Arabic and English.
