Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 07-06-2017
Social media users in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could face up to 15 years of jail time after country banned people from publishing expressions of sympathy towards Qatar.
Gulf News and Al-Arabiya reports that UAE’s Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said sympathising with Qatar was a cybercrime punishable by law.
“Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form.”
The Federal Public Prosecution also announced that according to the Federal Penal Code and the Federal law decree on Combating Information Technology Crimes, anyone who threaten the interests, national unity and stability of the UAE will face a jail term from three to 15 years, and a fine not less than AED 500,000 ($136,000).
Since the diplomatic row erupted, slogans against and in support of Qatar have been among the top topics discussed on Twitter in Arabic, which is a hugely popular medium of expression in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting “extremism”.
Yesterday Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters in Paris that Qatar must end its support for the Palestinian group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood before ties with other Gulf Arab states could be restored.
The dispute comes less than a month after Trump visited Saudi Arabia and called for Muslim nations to unite against “extremism”.
Qatar says there is “no legitimate justification” for several nations severing diplomatic ties and the decision was in “violation of its sovereignty”.
– Al Jazeera & Agencies
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