Asian jailed for inciting hatred in Dubai

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced an Asian to one year in jail to be followed by deportation after convicting him of committing a criminal act under the legislation in force using an electronic means.

The court also sentenced him to three months in jail in the same case after convicting him of criticising Islam or proselytising another religion.

The case dated back to last May when an Arab employee reported to the police that he had received many WhatsApp messages on his phone, inciting hatred and contempt for the Islamic religion.

During the public prosecution’s investigations, the employee stated that the defendant sent several messages to a number of his colleagues containing discrimination between religions, hate speech and an insult to the Islamic religion on the WhatsApp.