The Federal Supreme Court, based in the capital Abu Dhabi, recently overruled two lower court sentences fining a man convicted of swearing at a colleague over the instant messaging app $800. The sentence was deemed “too lenient.”
The defendant was prosecuted under the Cyber Crimes Law after the claimant presented his cell phone to prove he received “insulting words” from the accused.
Expatriates could also face a potential deportation from the country under the new federal law, reported Emirates 24/7 News.
Last month, UAE lawyers and police issued a warning against the use of the forthcoming middle finger emoji online.
“Sending a middle finger emoji on a smartphone or even sending a middle finger picture through email can put you in trouble. It’s an insult in the UAE and the law can punish you with either jail of up to three years or a fine of up to Dhs 500,000 ($137,000),” criminal defense lawyer Abdullah Yousef al Nasir told 7DAYS last month.
