Post or discard? Dh500,000 fine, jail terms in store for social media users who insult the UAE currency

The prosecution on June 13, said it had seen clips of people dealing with the national currency "inappropriately".

The UAE Public Prosecution has called on residents to not insult the national currency "in any way whatsoever". This came after the prosecution noticed video clips on social media that were deemed degrading.

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Last month, the Dubai Police had arrested a young man over a video that he posted on social media in which he can be seen insulting the national currency. In the viral video, the suspect can be seen pretend-sneezing and using a currency note to clean himself.
The prosecution on Saturday said it had seen clips of people dealing with the national currency "inappropriately". It also received several such videos through its community participation app called 'My Safe Society'.
Such actions are illegal and punishable as they are deemed as "misuse" and "contempt" of the currency. "The national currency carries the name and emblem of the UAE; hence its moral value is greater than its material one. Any behaviour that is deemed an insult to the currency is a crime punishable by the UAE law," the public prosecution said.
In a video clip published on its social media platforms, the public prosecution affirmed that whoever publicly and intentionally mutilates, destroys or tears up the currency, shall be punished with a fine that is "greater than Dh1,000 and 10 times the value of the currency" in question.
Sense of responsibility
The authority urged all social media users to have a "sense of responsibility" before publishing materials and videos on their accounts.
"The UAE laws and legislations have criminalised all practices and acts that violate public morals or underestimate the emblem of the state along with its national currency. According to Article 176 of the Federal Penal Code, anyone who insults, mocks, harms the reputation, prestige or statute of the state, its flag, its emblem, its symbols or any of its institutions shall be punished with a minimum period of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years and a fine of no less than Dh500,000," the public prosecution clarified.
It affirmed that publishing such insulting footages via information technology means or social media platforms is a crime. This is punishable with temporary imprisonment and a fine of up to Dh1 million.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com 

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi

A Staff Reporter

• reporters@khaleejtimes.com