Kuwait blogger sued for negative restaurant review wins

A Kuwaiti court has ruled against Japanese restaurant chain Benihana, which sued Mark Makhoul, a Lebanese national living in Kuwait, over comments posted on his popular blog 248am.

According to the National:

Mr Makhoul wrote a negative review after visiting the restaurant in December. “The chicken was very chewy (I could swear it was undercooked if not raw) and tasted terrible,” Mr Makhoul wrote. “Would I go back to Benihana? No I wouldn’t.”

…Mr Makhoul said that the ruling marks a legal “precedent” for bloggers in Kuwait.

“Bloggers in Kuwait do not have to fear expressing their opinion. This has set a precedent,” he said. “Kuwait is known for respecting people’s rights, and freedom of speech.”

Makhoul also said he plans to go after Benihana for his legal fees, which he said amounted to “a lot.”

So, Qatar peoples – do you think Doha courts would follow suit if bloggers started naming and shaming?