The Abu Dhabi Court announced that the publication of content encouraging marriage of individuals below the legal age violates the laws and social values of the country.

A video circulated on social media resulted in a heavy sentence for an Emirati citizen. The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court in the National Security section sentenced 50-year-old 'Saif Salem Saif Ali Al-Maqbali' to three years in prison and a fine of 5 million dirhams.

The case pertains to a video that supported the marriage of underage girls in Morocco. In addition to the prison sentence and monetary fine, the court also ordered the removal of this video, the blocking of all social media accounts of the accused, and the confiscation of the mobile phone used to publish the content.

According to the investigation results, the content of this video included statements that could incite social discord, promote hatred and discrimination, and even negatively impact friendly relations between the people of the UAE and Morocco. Judicial authorities described this action as a serious violation of the country's laws and the deep-rooted social values of the UAE.

The Attorney General of the UAE, Dr. 'Hamid Saif Al-Shamsi', had previously ordered that this case be addressed urgently. Investigations revealed that the accused claimed in his video that Moroccan laws permit marriage with underage girls; a claim that was deemed incorrect by judicial authorities.

Source: Gulf Times