By Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi- An Abu Dhabi court has sentenced an Emirati man to three years in prison and fined him Dh5 million after he published a social media video promoting the marriage of underage girls in Morocco.
The ruling was handed down by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal – State Security Chamber against 50-year-old Saif Salem Saif Ali Al Muqbali.
The court also ordered the removal of the video, the closure of all social media accounts linked to Al Muqbali, and the confiscation of the mobile phone used in committing the offence.
According to investigations, prosecutors found that Al Muqbali used inflammatory rhetoric capable of fuelling sedition, hatred, and societal discrimination. Authorities said the content also threatened the fraternal relations between the people of the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
Earlier, UAE Attorney General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi had referred the suspect to expedited trial proceedings after investigators concluded that he had publicly encouraged underage marriage and falsely claimed that Moroccan laws permitted such practices.
Officials described the remarks as a serious violation of UAE laws and societal values, stressing the country’s firm stance against content that promotes harmful or unlawful behaviour online.
Source: Khaleej Times
