On Wednesday, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal imposed a three-year prison sentence on Emirati citizen Saif Salem Saif Ali Al-Maqbali, along with a hefty fine of AED 5 million. This decision came in response to a controversial video that surfaced online, where Al-Maqbali made remarks that were deemed to encourage marriage to underage girls in Morocco. The court's ruling also mandated the removal of the offending video, the closure of Al-Maqbali's online accounts, and the confiscation of the mobile device used to create the content, as reported by the Emirates News Agency.
The case was expedited by the UAE attorney general, who referred Al-Maqbali for trial after investigations revealed that he had disseminated content on social media that was not only offensive but also incited discord. According to the findings, the language used by Al-Maqbali was likely to provoke societal division, foster hatred, and promote social discrimination. Moreover, it was found that his statements undermined the fraternal ties between the Moroccan and Emirati communities, which authorities classified as a serious infringement of the country’s laws and social norms.
The fallout from the incident has been significant, especially in Morocco, where various organizations, including «Touche pas à mon enfant» and the «Coalition Dounia pour mettre fin au mariage des mineures», have called for a thorough investigation into the video. These groups expressed their outrage over Al-Maqbali's comments, particularly his reference to a “14-year-old girl,” which ignited accusations of disrespect towards Morocco and its women. In an attempt to mitigate the growing backlash, Al-Maqbali subsequently released a follow-up video claiming that his initial remarks had been misinterpreted due to “cultural differences.”
As reported by en.yabiladi.com.
