Qatar Sympathisers in the UAE Could Now Face Up to 15 Years in Prison

The UAE is now threatening to sentence anyone who publishes sympathetic literature towards Qatar to up to 15 years in prison, according to Gulf News. In addition to the jail term, offenders could also receive a fine of up to 500,000 UAE Dirhams.

This development comes on the heels of a fast-escalating crisis, where a number of MENA countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt have cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar.

“Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual, or verbal form,” Gulf News quotes UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying.