Khor Fakkan: A criminal court in Khor Fakkan on Tuesday sentenced a 46-year-old Syrian doctor to seven years in jail and ordered him to pay a Dh500,000 fine for insulting God and Islam. The court also ordered his deportation after he serves his prison term.
The verdict was announced by Judge Ahmad Al Dhanhani.
The case dates back to July 30 when an argument erupted between the accused and the Arab owner of a medical clinic in Khor Fakkan.
According to the public prosecution records, the accused, identified as A.M., worked in the medical clinic. The suspect had a conversation with the clinic owner over some issues related to their work. Later, the conversation turned into an argument and the accused uttered abusive words against the owner and insulted Islam and God. The suspect is also a Muslim.
The owner then filed a case with Khor Fakkan Police who arrested the doctor.
The Public Prosecution charged the doctor under the UAE’s Anti-Discrimination Law.
The testimonies of other employees of the clinic were heard in court and it was proved that the accused was guilty of making insulting remarks and humiliating the complainant.
A court official told Gulf News that the verdict is the first of its kind in the Eastern Region courts since the issuance of the UAE Anti-Discrimination Law in 2015.
The Anti-Discrimination Law prohibits any act considered as insulting to God, His prophets or apostles or holy books or houses of worship or graveyards. Penalties for violation of various provisions of the law include jail terms of six months to over 10 years and fines from Dh50,000 to Dh2 million.
