Abu dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals' State Security Chamber has sentenced Emirati national Saif Salem Saif Ali Al Maqbali to three years in prison and imposed a fine of AED5 million. The court's decision also included the deletion of the offensive video, the closure of the defendant's social media accounts, and the confiscation of the mobile phone used in committing the offence.
According to Emirates News Agency, the UAE Attorney-General expedited the trial of the defendant after investigations revealed that he had published a video inciting marriage to underage girls in Morocco. The video falsely claimed that Moroccan laws allow such practices, prompting legal action against Al Maqbali.
The investigations further confirmed that Al Maqbali's rhetoric was capable of provoking sedition, hatred, and societal discrimination. His actions were deemed offensive to the fraternal relations between the Emirati and Moroccan peoples, and constituted a serious violation of the laws and deeply rooted societal values of the UAE.