ABU DHABI // A verdict is expected next Monday in the trial of five men accused of harming the public image of the UAE’s culture around the world through a spoof documentary.
S C, an American originally from Sri Lanka, two Indians A and R, and two Emirati brothers, S D and S D, all of whom are from Dubai, appeared at the State Security Court in Abu Dhabi yesterday for the latest hearing.
The men were arrested in April this year for the video they produced and posted on YouTube in October last year.
The 19-minute film, called Satwa Comedy School, is set in a garage in Al Satwa area of Dubai.
In it, the characters practise martial arts to protect themselves from the gangs of youths they claim live in their neighbourhood.
Some of the weapons they wield are pieces of Emirati national dress including the agal, the black rope worn around the headdress, and the naal, the leather slippers.
In Monday’s hearing, prosecutors presented a report on the content of the video after it had been translated from English to Arabic as requested by the court.
The contents of the report were not revealed in court, but it was mentioned that the video starts with a disclaimer saying: “The following events are fictional and no offence was intended to the people of Satwa and UAE.”
It also mentioned that the naal and agal were used in the film.
Defence lawyers stressed that their clients never had intended to ridicule the UAE’s culture or damage its reputation elsewhere in the world. They insisted that the video was just a parody made for comedy.
One of the Emirati brothers pleaded with the court to be granted bail.
“I’ve spent eight months in prison already,” he said.
The defence also presented a report that included samples of other films and videos that featured Emirati culture, yet never resulted in prosecution.
They included ones called Two Locals Fighting at the Cinema and Fight at Dubai Creek. They also mentioned the 2009 Dubai-based feature film City of Life.
S C, 29, worked as a business consultant in Dubai and was a stand-up comic on the side.
S D, 32, worked in media and marketing and was a rap musician. His brother, SD, 23, is a student and part-time worker for an airline.
Another sibling, A D, was charged with being aware of the offence but not reporting it. His case was dropped before it reached court.
There were nine defendants when the trial started but only five of them appeared in court on Monday.
It was unclear if the remaining had their cases dropped or are still on trial.
hdajani@thenational.ae
