News item in todays's edition of the UAE's 7 Days daily newspaper:
_______________
I am rendered speechless... legally, quite apart from anything else.
Five men have been sent to prison by the UAE Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi for posting remarks online about political reform that were deemed to pose a security threat and insulted the country’s leaders.
Judge Ahmad Abdul Hamid, who presided over the court yesterday, sentenced one of the defendants, Ahmed Al Mansour Ali Abdullah Al Shehi, to three years in prison while the other four were jailed for two years each.
[An official statement] said the men had been convicted of charges of insulting the President and Crown Prince of the UAE, breaking laws and refraining from the Federal National Council elections and inciting demonstrations and perpetrating acts that pose threat to state security. The verdict was greeted with approval by pro-government supporters...
Thabit Al Qassieh, who is Emirati, said: “I think it has been a fair judgment. Two or three years in jail is enough penalty for them.” However, Ahmed Jumah, also Emirati, said: “What they did was not proper, insulting our rulers. They deserved a tougher penalty than that. But we have to respect the court’s decision.”
The court also ordered the website where the men made the comments - uaehewar.net - be shut permanently.
The court’s decision cannot be appealed against.
Judge Ahmad Abdul Hamid, who presided over the court yesterday, sentenced one of the defendants, Ahmed Al Mansour Ali Abdullah Al Shehi, to three years in prison while the other four were jailed for two years each.
[An official statement] said the men had been convicted of charges of insulting the President and Crown Prince of the UAE, breaking laws and refraining from the Federal National Council elections and inciting demonstrations and perpetrating acts that pose threat to state security. The verdict was greeted with approval by pro-government supporters...
Thabit Al Qassieh, who is Emirati, said: “I think it has been a fair judgment. Two or three years in jail is enough penalty for them.” However, Ahmed Jumah, also Emirati, said: “What they did was not proper, insulting our rulers. They deserved a tougher penalty than that. But we have to respect the court’s decision.”
The court also ordered the website where the men made the comments - uaehewar.net - be shut permanently.
The court’s decision cannot be appealed against.
_______________
I am rendered speechless... legally, quite apart from anything else.
No comments:
Post a Comment