UAE threatens serious jail terms for April Fools pranksters

UAE threatens serious jail terms for April Fools pranksters
The UAE public prosecutor office has released a statement declaring harsh penalties and legal punishments awaits those who participates in April's Fools.
1 min read
02 April, 2021
The UAE threatened citizens and visitors who spread rumours on April's Fools [Getty]
The UAE has threatened citizens and visitors who spread rumours or play pranks on April's Fools with a prison sentence of at least one year.

There will be "serious repercussions and legal liabilities" for anyone caught spreading "lies and misinformation", the Public Prosecution Office said in a statement cited by the official WAM news agency on Thursday.

Rumours that harm public interest or negatively affect the "moral code of society" will be harshly prosecuted, the statement said, adding that it will include anyone spreading "malicious or vicious lies" about the Emirati society, the UAE government or the state.

These actions, the statement said, will be punishable by law with an imprisonment penalty for a period of no less than one year.

The April Fool's Day is marked every year on the first of April worldwide, where traditionally people prank others.

With people relying on the internet and media for vital information amid the coronavirus outbreak, there were fears this year that jokes could fan the spread of misinformation.

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