Violators face up to five years jail time and a fine from Dh5,000 to Dh1 million.
The Public Prosecution in Abu Dhabi is interrogating a person suspected of circulating video clips over social networking platforms that are found to be incitement to hatred, racial discrimination and undermining pubic order.
The interrogation comes after the prosecution spotted clips on the accused’s YouTube channel where he used hate speech that is likely to undermine public order by inciting divisions among the various communities living in the UAE.
Within this context, the Public Prosecution called on social media users to act responsibly, adhere to the Law of the land and to respect the nation’s primary values that stress on respect for all. They urged people not to sow seeds of division among people in the name of ethnicity, religion, language or gender.
“The Freedom of opinion shall be guaranteed within the limits of law, according to Article 30 of the Constitution of the UAE,” said the Public Prosecution, citing Article 7 of the Federal Decree Law No. 2 of 2015 which states that any person who “commits any act involving hate speech by any means of expression or by any other means, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than five years and to a fine not less than Dh5,000 and not exceeding Dh1 million or either one of these two penalties.”
The prosecution warned of using social media platforms in disseminating, preparing, producing or using any material, including speeches, gestures, drawings, recordings, and writings, etc., whether be it visual, audio or verbal, that can be considered a violation of UAE’s foundational principles of justice and equality and an affront to its efforts to disseminate the values of tolerance and forbearance.
The prosecution also warned it will take legal action against all violators.
