Saudi Minister Threatens a Twitter User Online  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi Arabia's Information and Culture Minister Abdelaziz Khoja allegedly threatened to sue a Twitter user – for insulting him on the microblogging platform.
A user by the name @Esaeed1 tweeted the minister [ar]:
يا وزير الاعلام كلنا نعرف انك صورة او بالاصح ريموت كنترول في يد اصحاب المال والسلطة رجاءاً لا نريد منك فرد للعضلات مستقبلاً
@Esaeed1: Minister of Information, we all know you are an image or more precisely a remote control in the hands of those with money and power. Please refrain from flexing your muscles in the future.
And a Twitter account (non-verified) under the minister's name responded:
‏
@Esaeed1حقيقة من الممكن أن أقاضيك على كلامك اذا كنت شجاعا اكتب اسمك بصراحه
@abdlazizkhoja: In reality I can sue you for what you said. Be courageous and write your real name
Fahad Al Dahhas responded:
تقاضيه على رأي يا وزير..انا كنت عارف ان الوزراء عندنا شخبط شخابيط و الحين تأكدت..قاضي نفسك قبل أن تقاضى أمام الله
@FahadAl_Dahhas: You will sue him for his opinion. I knew that our ministers are rubbish and now I am convinced. Sue yourself before sue anyone
And the minister replied:
سيدي أسلوبه وتهجمه واتهامه لي بما لا يليق هو الذي دفعني لذلك اذا كان هذا الأسلوب يرضيك للحوار أنا اقبل حكمك
@abdlazizkhoja: His manner, the way he attacked me and how he accused me of what is not suitable is what drove me to do that. If this way of dialogue suits you, I accept your decision.
It is interesting to see such exchanges between netizens and officials in a country ranked by Reporters without Borders as an Enemy of the Internet.