United Arab Emirates: Indian expat charged for insulting Islam on Facebook

A United Arab Emirates court has charged an Indian man over insulting Islam over Facebook.

The 41-year-old Indian man, identified only as SG, allegedly posted comments last year after viewing a video depicting the violence in Iraq.

Police officials were tipped off by another Indian man who said he received a Whatsapp message on his phone on 6 July last year detailing the defendant's offensive remarks on Facebook.

The 24-year-old vendor filed a complaint at the Al Rafaa police station in Dubai and said during the prosecution investigation: "The message said there was a post on Facebook that insulted Islam. The message also included a picture clicked of the post and the account user."

After receiving the complaint, Dubai police seized the defendant's mobile phone.

A criminal lab later concluded finding several communications where the accused insulted Islam using his iPhone.

The accused allegedly also confessed to posting the derogatory remarks during police investigation, reported ArabianBusiness.

The accused has been charged by the Court of First Instance in Dubai over his offensive conversations against Islam on Facebook. The case has so far been adjourned until next month by Judge Ezzat Mansour.

If convicted, the defendant can spend up to seven years in jail followed by deportation.

Breaking UAE's cyber crimes law

Earlier this year, an American expat was arrested in UAE after he was found commenting against his employer on Facebook.

Ryan Pate, a helicopter mechanic, posted a rant over social media while he was in Florida complaining about his employer Global Aerospace Logistics (Gal) after his sick leave was rejected.

Pate allegedly called his employer "backstabbers" and discouraged people from working for the organization.

He was also accused of posting racially motivated remarks about the UAE people and the lifestyle in the country.

Pate was arrested for offending the country's cyber-crime laws after he returned to UAE with the intention of resigning.

He faces up to five years in jail and a huge fine if found guilty.

"I never even entertained the fact that I would wind up in prison out here for something I put on Facebook in the United States," said Mr Pate, reported BBC News.