A Dubai court has fined a 22-year-old British computer engineer $2,725 for hacking into the network of state-run telecoms company Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Mr Lee Ashurst from Oldham, England, who pleaded not guilty and told the Dubai court he did not realise what he was doing was illegal, was convicted of misusing "equipment, services or facilities provided by Etisalat".
He was found not guilty on a second charge of opening other people's e-mail.
However the court also sent the case to the civil courts, where Etisalat is seeking compensation of $770,000 for four days of lost business.
Etisalat, the UAE's sole Internet service provider, experienced major web disruptions in June 2000.
Defence lawyer Habib Al Mulla Ashurst told Khaleej Times that Ashurst would appeal.
The Briton, who lost his job with a construction company in May 2000, has since been stranded in the UAE waiting for the case to be settled.
His passport and laptop were confiscated after he was questioned by Etisalat officials and police officers who raided his apartment in Dubai, the Internet, trading and leisure hub of the UAE.
A federal cabinet committee has been set up to draft new legislation on cybercrime.
AFP