Federal Supreme Court confirms 10-year sentence for Gulf citizen

ABU DHABI– The State Security Court at the Federal Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by A.M/.Sh, 49, a GCC citizen, and confirmed a previous ruling issued against him by the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal sentencing him to ten years in prison and an AED1 million fine after he was found guilty of violating the Information Technology Crimes Law and publishing misleading and inaccurate articles and information that could harm the image and reputation of the country, and some of its symbols, and its foreign policy.

This verdict is final and not subject to appeal.

In May 2018, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal had sentenced the GCC citizen to 10 years in prison and fined him AED1 million while confiscating all his electronic devices and tools used for the crime. He was also asked to pay all judicial expenses incurred, in addition to placing him under probation for three years after the end of his sentence for misusing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The court also found him guilty of promoting ideas that would cause sedition, sectarianism, hatred and attempting to damage national unity and social peace, while also maligning the reputation of the country and its position before international entities and foreign organisations, and inciting others not to abide by local laws.

Source: Emirates News Agency