Dubai: A woman holder of a visit visa appeared in court on misdemeanor charges for allegedly insulting a public employee at the Dubai International Airport.
She will also face a charge of violating the privacy of the public employee by clicking his pictures with her mobile phone and threatening to post them on social media.
The women had a problem with an airline for which she walked in to the office of the employee to talk to him. The officer tried to explain her that they were not the right authority to handle the matter.
The irritated women started talking in an abusive manner and wanted to take the pictures of the complainant and his colleague with her phone.
The woman claimed that she had freedom of expression and was free to click anyone’s photos. She confessed that she used a bad language with him.
Unlike in many Western countries, defamation is treated in the UAE as a criminal rather than a civil matter. Insulting the UAE’s leaders, or the country itself, can carry a prison sentence and steep fines.
The public prosecution also advised all visitors and residents to respect public employees and try to solve their problems in a civilised manner.