UAE court jails Emirati for 3 years, fines Dh5 million over social media child marriage incitement in Morocco

A UAE court has sentenced an Emirati national to three years in prison and imposed a Dh5 million fine for using social media platforms to promote and incite child marriages in Morocco.

UAE court jails Emirati for 3 years, fines Dh5 million over social media child marriage incitement in Morocco

A court in the United Arab Emirates has handed down a three-year prison sentence and a Dh5 million fine to an Emirati citizen convicted of using social media to encourage and promote child marriages in Morocco.

The judicial ruling came after authorities investigated the defendant's online activities. Prosecutors established that the man leveraged digital platforms to spread content that incited the practice of marrying underage girls in the North African nation.

Law enforcement and judicial bodies in the UAE treated the case with severity, reflecting the country's firm stance against the exploitation of minors and the use of online channels to promote unlawful practices abroad. The substantial financial penalty of five million dirhams accompanies the custodial sentence, underscoring the gravity with which the court viewed the offense.

The case highlights growing concerns among governments about the cross-border reach of social media and the potential for individuals to use these tools to promote activities that violate international child protection standards. Moroccan law sets clear minimum age requirements for marriage, and inciting breaches of these protections formed the basis of the charges.

Legal analysts note that the judgment sends a strong deterrent message regarding the misuse of digital platforms to encourage harmful practices in other jurisdictions. The combination of imprisonment and a heavy monetary fine demonstrates that UAE courts are prepared to impose severe sanctions on citizens who exploit online spaces to undermine child safeguarding laws beyond the country's borders.

The defendant's nationality played a role in the case being heard within the UAE judicial system, as domestic courts exercised jurisdiction over a citizen accused of directing criminal incitement toward another country through internet-based communications.

Source: Gulf News — https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-court-sentences-emirati-to-3-years-dh5-million-fine-for-using-social-media-to-incite-child-marriages-in-morocco

Source: Google News UAE — Courts & Fraud