UAE Jails 8 over Spoof Video

 Joanne Faulkner,

Editor ( Middle East)

ABU DHABI –  8 people have been jailed by the UAE’s state security court for creating the following spoof video, entitled ‘Ultimate Combat System: The Deadly Satwa G’s, posted on Youtube in October 2012:

2 UAE citizens and 6 foreigners will face up to a year in jail for their video which mocks Dubai youth culture.  The foreigners also face a fine of 10,000 UAE dirham and will be deported once their sentences has been served. The local men have been fined 5,000 dirham.

The video was posted a month after the UAE introduced a new cybercrimes law in 2012. The law was implemented to curb pornography and internet gambling but also includes subversion as a crime. The law was used directly in the prosecution of the group.

Rori Donaghy, director of the London-based Emirates Centre for Human Rights, said: “These young film-makers are suffering the consequences of authorities who are increasingly sensitive to any form of criticism, no matter how mild. This case has laid bare problems with due legal process and restrictive internet laws in the UAE.”

More to come…