UK Politician Arrested Over Twitter 'Stoning Joke'

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday November 11, 2010 @06:06AM from the watch-how-you-tweet dept.

History's Coming To writes "The BBC is reporting that a Tory city councillor has been arrested over a 'joke' he posted to Twitter suggesting that Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, a UK based writer, be stoned to death. The full tweet read, 'Can someone please stone Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to death? I shan't tell Amnesty if you don't. It would be a blessing, really.' Following complaints he was arrested under the Communications Act 2003 and bailed. He has since apologized. This comes on the same day that a conviction for a Twitter 'joke' about blowing up an airport was upheld."

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Doing in wrong... by Qzukk · 2010-11-11 06:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

Obviously he should have phrased it "Won't someone rid me of this meddlesome columnist?"

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Re:Asshat by SirThe · 2010-11-11 06:15 · Score: 5, Insightful

Maybe, but he still shouldn't be arrested for it!
Re:Stupid by TheRaven64 · 2010-11-11 06:19 · Score: 5, Insightful

In the UK, it is illegal to threaten to kill someone. There is no exemption for it being just a joke, because that provides a pretty trivial loophole ('Oh, did he take it seriously officer? I was only joking...').

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