Eritrean man fined for sending threatening SMS

Inspector Jason Francis Sultana arraigned 25 year-old Siem Iseyas Araya before Magistrate Miriam Hayman, explaining that the accused had sent several threatening SMSs to a man with whom he had previously argued at a bar. Araya was charged with misuse of telecommunications equipment and also accused of attacking the man, causing him to suffer slight injuries when he threw a hard object at him.

Lawyer Chris Chircop who appeared as legal aid to the accused told the court that the accused had told him he was surprised at being charged “because in his country, Eritrea, this was normal legal behaviour.” He requested the court take note of the accused’s clean criminal record and award the minimum punishment.

Magistrate Hayman fined Araya Araya €200 explaining that while the offences were not punishable by a prison sentence, he could have been handed the maximum fine of €23,000. About the accused’s surprise at being charged, she said that the court was  “quite sure that he is wrong. There is no democratic country which permits such behaviour.”