Emirati 'jailed for insulting brother on Instagram'

Emirati 'jailed for insulting brother on Instagram'
An Emirati man has received a three-month prison sentence and a fine after being convicted of insulting his brother on Instagram.
2 min read
14 July, 2016
The UAE has some very tough cybercrime and slander laws [Getty]

A state-owned newspaper in the United Arab Emirates is reporting that an Emirati man has received a three-month prison sentence and a fine after being convicted of insulting his brother on Instagram.

The Arabic-language newspaper Al Etihad reported on Thursday that the man's brother became upset after finding his photo on his brother's Instagram account with an expletive as the caption.

The newspaper says the unidentified defendant also must pay a 250,000-dirham ($68,000) fine under the sentence from the Khor Fakkan Court of Misdemeanors.

The newspaper says the defendant planned to appeal.

While liberal compared to much of the Middle East, the UAE has tough cybercrime and slander laws under which people can be arrested, imprisoned and deported for taking photographs without the consent of those shown or being insulting.

There have been plenty of cases where UAE residents were arrested and tried under the country's cybercrime law, which criminalises all forms of "electronic abuse".

Earlier this year, two men were detained for seven days after taking "selfies" outside a Dubai hotel while it was on fire.

There have been plenty of cases where UAE residents were arrested and tried under the country's cybercrime law, which criminalises all forms of "electronic abuse".

In 2013, a 29-year-old US citizen from Minnesota was accused of defaming the country's image abroad for posting a spoof video online about youth culture in the UAE.

He spent nine months in prison before being deported and fined the equivalent of $2,700.