ABU DHABI // A man accused of defaming the country on social media claimed in court on Tuesday that he was only standing up for his father.
O N, 25, an Emirati, is accused of spreading false information about the UAE’s state security procedures, laws and government bodies on Twitter.
He is also accused of communicating with members of a secret organisation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and of joining the group.
He previously denied the charges, saying he only posted on Twitter to offer support for his father, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2013 for being a member of the Brotherhood.
Judge Mohammed Al Jarrah Al Tenaji on Tuesday allowed the defendant to speak in court.
O N said: “The purpose of the Twitter account was to defend my father. Publishing and sharing tweets is something many people do, that does not mean I am part of a group or a committee.
“I transcribed the reality of what was going on during the hearings, along with my personal opinions.
“The same information was published by numerous newspapers as well.”
He said videos found on his electronic devices were from YouTube and had not been blocked by the country’s internet filters.
He also said he should not be held accountable for what others had sent him on social media platforms.
“I have nothing to do with what others write to me and I am not responsible.
“The conversations I have on such platforms are private and personal, they are not for publishing,” he said.
A prosecuting lawyer said O N had not respected the rights and privileges granted to him as an Emirati.
“Today’s case is that of an Emirati who received his education and lived in a safe state,” he said.
“He got the chance to continue his higher education at the country’s expense and how did he repay it? He adopted the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology and worked upon bettering their image using social media. He spread lies and rumours, and created chaos and fear in the community.”
The prosecutor said O N had referred to state security procedures as “thuggery”, while claiming women and children had been kidnapped and inmates had been tortured.
He said O N also tweeted that the trial of his father had been “comical”.
This gave the public a bad impression of the justice system and the country, said the lawyer.
O N was also accused of communicating with members of the Muslim Brotherhood in foreign countries via WhatsApp and Skype.
The prosecutor said there was evidence to prove O N had been a member of Al Islah, a franchise of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, that was ordered to shut down in July 2013.
Defence lawyer Hamdan Al Zeyoodi said the prosecution’s evidence was contradictory and did not portray O N’s real circumstances.
“The investigators did not get his address right or his place of employment. The lack of evidence shows how insincere the investigations were,” he said.
Another lawyer for the defence, Amal Khamees, said the accusations against the defendant were unrelated to each other.
She said his posts on Twitter were a result of his “young age, disregard and lack of understanding of the consequences”.
The lawyers asked for acquittal of their client while the defendant asked to be bailed.
The case was adjourned until November 25 when a verdict is expected to be announced.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae
