Dubai: A hotel’s safety officer has been cleared of blasphemy for insulting Christianity. Two managers were also acquitted of using WhatsApp to disdain Christianity when one of them recorded the officer’s actions and forwarded the blasphemous recordings to the other manager, who uploaded it on social media in December.

Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Emirati safety officer of insulting a religion [Christianity] and disparaging it verbally.

However, he was sentenced to a month in jail for committing an indecent gesture in public while the hotel where he worked was hosting a Christmas party on December 25.

Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi also acquitted the Egyptian manager of having recorded the Emirati’s alleged blasphemous and disdainful words and actions on his phone and then forwarded the contents to the Sudanese manager. The latter was also acquitted of posting the recordings on social media networks. The Emirati had denied the charges.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian refuted the accusation of breaching the Emirati’s privacy when he used his smartphone to record the latter’s words and behaviour without his consent and forwarded them on WhatsApp to the Sudanese suspect.

The Sudanese also denied exploiting the telecommunication system and circulating the blasphemous recordings.

Prosecutors had accused the Emirati of disdaining Christianity verbally by saying “Christians will be doomed in hell” and making an indecent gesture that was meant to offend Christians and Christianity.

The Egyptian and Sudanese suspects were accused of abusing WhatsApp and publishing the blasphemous recording and breaching the Emirati suspect’s privacy.

The Emirati’s lawyer, Dr Ali Al Haddad, contended before the court that his client did not insult Christianity or Christians.

“My client respects all religions and he did not commit any wrongdoing … the alleged video recording that was circulated and went viral on WhatsApp was taken out of context. The video was edited in a way that made its contents sound as if my client was blaspheming a religion. The content was taken completely out of context and the footage that was circulated inflicted damage on my client. Initially he went to the police as a complainant since the circulated video was meant to mock him and defame him as well. Besides, when the incident happened, all the invitees [Christian guests who were attending the Christmas party] had gone … and none of them complained,” defended Dr Al Haddad.

A police lieutenant had testified that the incident was discovered after the Emirati suspect complained that his privacy had been breached by the Egyptian suspect.

“The Emirati came to the police station and claimed that he had been defamed and maligned before his workmates at the hotel where they work on Shaikh Zayed Road. He alleged that he spoke jokingly over the microphone, saying ‘Merry Christmas and wish you all the best’ and he joked in Arabic saying ‘you are all doomed in hell’. The Emirati alleged that his Egyptian colleague [the suspect] recorded his words and action on his phone.

“He claimed that he was surprised later that the recording had been posted on social media and had been edited sarcastically … that caused his embarrassment. He claimed that when he asked his colleague how the recording had been posted on social media the latter informed him that he had forwarded it on WhatsApp to his friend, the Sudanese suspect,” claimed the lieutenant.

Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.