Woman arrested and jailed in Abu Dhabi for Facebook Post

[Ehsan]

Jodi Magi: WA woman arrested and jailed in Abu Dhabi for 'writing bad words' on Facebook - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

An Australian woman has been arrested and jailed in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates after she was found guilty of "writing bad words on social media".

In February, Jodi Magi, 39, took a photo of a car in her apartment block that was parked across two disabled parking spaces, without any disability stickers.

She blacked out the number plate and put the photo on Facebook, drawing attention to the seemingly selfish act, but not providing any identifying details or names.

However, someone in the apartment block complained to police and the case went to an Abu Dhabi court in June.

Ms Magi, who has lived in Abu Dhabi since 2012, said she was forced to sign multiple documents in Arabic without any translation.

Two weeks ago she was found guilty of "writing bad words on social media about a person" and told she would be deported.

The West Australian woman told the ABC she was shocked and confused by the court's decision and she did not have any understanding of what she was supposed to have done that was illegal.

"I have zero idea. I used the internet," she said before being arrested.

Last week Ms Magi tried to voluntarily deport herself and pay the approximately $3,600 fine, but Abu Dhabi authorities would not allow her to leave without presenting herself to court.

Ms Magi had been warned this could mean she would end up in jail, despite this not being part of her sentence.

"I'm putting my life in the hands of chaos," she said. "I'm terrified."



Yesterday, as suspected, Ms Magi went to pay the fine but was arrested and jailed.

"They were about to put me in the male lock-up and then they turned me away and no-one knows what to do with me," she told the ABC from the back of the police car she was in.

"No-one is talking to me. No-one is telling me what is going on. I've been driving around for literally about four hours."

Ms Magi spent last night in jail and it is not known how long she will be held for.

She said the Australian embassy in Abu Dhabi has not provided any help or advice apart from recommending she get a lawyer.

"I'm not sure if it was me being naive. I was under the impression that embassies were in countries to help their citizens in times of difficulty," she said in an interview before her arrest.

"But from my experience it seems that their job here seems to be to generate business and they have no interest in anything other than that."

The ABC asked the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) if the Australian Government was going to make any representations to the UAE government about Ms Magi's imprisonment.

In a statement they said: "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to provide consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in Abu Dhabi and that for privacy reasons they cannot provide any more information."

 

[Melinda Sengdawa]

Thanks for adding me to your group.

I really appreciate that.

 

[Jungibaaz]

Thanks for adding me to your group.

I really appreciate that.

Welcome, I think you're our very first member from Papua New Guinea.

 

[salarsikander]

Hi,
What more can be expected from desert dwellers.

Big buildings, expensive car, designer clothing. They dont understand these luxuries do not make you an educated person.

In fact in a hand of uneducated people and arrogant desert dwellers , this is what that you get

 

[Khalid Newazi]

You go to a country, you live by their rules. If they don't offer free speech, you don't go and practice that. Simple as that, you aren't special.

 

[Ehsan]

You go to a country, you live by their rules. If they don't offer free speech, you don't go and practice that. Simple as that, you aren't special.

Same can be said for Muslims who go and practice freely in other countries and this what comes back to bite muslims when their host countries say that even you dont get the freedoms we provide you in your own countries ! its these countries like Abu Dhabi that have to change and not the other way round.

 

[Mrc]

Gay marriage is also been approved as basic human tight in some countries. It does not mean you go and start practicing that in gulf....that is atleast officially...

I wud luv to hear the other side of story. She might have done more than she is admitting to in this article...especially if australian embassy preferred to stay silent on matter...

 

[macnurv]

Just watch the apologists for these douchebags come out in troves and defend these stupid GCC government pricks.

 

[Al Bhatti]

"I have zero idea. I used the internet,"

As per the news: She herself says she is dumb. She was arrested for using bad words which as per UAE law is punishable and everyone knows it.

Secondly, she should have reported the parking issue to the relevant authorities and they definitely then would have taken action.

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May 20, 2014

Be aware of UAE privacy laws when posting Facebook content, TRA warns

Posting content about other people on Facebook without their consent could be breaking the law, regulators warn.
To help social-media users stay within the boundaries of law and the site’s own privacy policies, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, or TRA, has published a set of guidelines.

“Users should not tag other users without their consent,” the guide says. “Users should be aware of the use of photographs and videos of other people without consent.

“UAE law contains quite broad provisions relating to the protection of privacy and reputation, so care needs to be taken when posting information about others.”

Facebook’s own privacy and use guidelines are similar to UAE laws.

“These restrictions are no more than users should expect under the laws of the UAE, which prohibit the publication of content that is contrary to public morals, the principles of Islam and the social and moral welfare of the UAE,” the guidelines say.

They warn against sharing sensitive or private information, such as passwords or financial information, as this could be shared publicly.

“Facebook and Twitter were built for people to share ideas, and for users to stay in touch with friends and relatives,” said Thomas Shambler, editor of Stuff magazine.

“Their purpose was never to serve as an environment for slander and trolling, which is internet-speak for saying deliberately hurtful things.

“These guidelines only strengthen what made social media popular in the first place. The sheer amount of information available on social media makes it an uncomfortable place, especially for parents.

“Ultimately, these new guidelines will make social media a more friendly place and should help parents to decide if their children should be allowed to participate.”

The TRA’s guide is based on a study of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Data Use Policy and the Facebook Community Guidelines.

It is designed to act as “a public service and for general information purposes only”.

The report is available online at www.tra.gov.ae. Future reports will be published on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Yahoo/Flickr, LinkedIn, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, the Apple Store, BlackBerry and Keek.

Facebook’s own guidelines include provisions forbidding content that “includes hate speech, incites violence or which is threatening or contains graphic or gratuitous violence”.

Nudity or pornographic material is also prohibited.

If found to be in breach of any of these conditions, Facebook can remove the content and ban the page.

The site has features that allow users to restrict who can see their content.

But the TRA warns that this would not stop another user who has access from reposting the information elsewhere.

It also enables users to control what posts they are tagged in, and report other users for abusing the feature.

The TRA’s guide adds that in the UAE, 69 per cent of Facebook users are male and 31 per cent are female

Be aware of UAE privacy laws when posting Facebook content, TRA warns | The National

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March 18, 2015

Company drops UAE defamation claims against American employee over Facebook comments


Defamation charges against an American who made negative comments about his employers and the UAE on social media have been dropped by the company.

The case against helicopter mechanic Ryan Pate was dropped by the Misdemeanours Court on Tuesday after he reconciled with the company.

He was charged after he allegedly insulted his employer by name and made derogatory comments about the UAE and Arabs on Facebook while he was on holiday in Florida.

He was said to have referred to the UAE as a “sandbox” and called his employers “back-stabbers”.

After making the comments, he returned to the UAE and was arrested upon his arrival in the capital on February 16.

He was released on bail on February 24, until the hearing on Tuesday.

The mechanic has since apologised on Facebook for the comments.

UAE defamation claims against American contractor Ryan Pate dropped | The National

 

[Ehsan]

@Al Bhatti first of all that LAW is BS ! and second whoever reported her used the law to set a personal score

 

[Al Bhatti]

@Al Bhatti first of all that LAW is BS ! and second whoever reported her used the law to set a personal score

Sir,

Every country makes laws as per their respective countries, or should all countries copy and paste US laws for example?
Or should the suspect in a foreign country be tried there as per the law of the country she belongs to?

So as per you, a person should be free to say all sorts of bad words against any person under the context of “freedom”?

 

[Ehsan]

Sir,

Every country makes laws as per their respective countries, or should all countries copy and paste US laws for example?
Or should the suspect in a foreign country be tried there as per the law of the country she belongs to?

So as per you, a person should be free to say all sorts of bad words against any person under the context of “freedom”?

really ? 90% of Pakistan and Indias law are from British Era they cant even maker proper lawyers who can make Laws and these UAE states were just Bedouins before they got that oil money. what would they know about civilization or how to behave in a civil manner if they did they wont have any stupid laws like these ! where does in Islam say to arrest someone for something like this. I doubt even if they know a thing or two

 

[Shot-Caller]

Arabs, high on crude oil.

 

[Al Bhatti]

really ? 90% of Pakistan and Indias law are from British Era they cant even maker proper lawyers who can make Laws and these UAE states were just Bedouins before they got that oil money. what would they know about civilization or how to behave in a civil manner if they did they wont have any stupid laws like these ! where does in Islam say to arrest someone for something like this. I doubt even if they know a thing or two

Don't take my posts as taking sides:

It is 2015 and not 1971. In 1971 when they did not have enough educated citizens they brought in educated people from outside including Pakistan and consulted them and took their recommendations.

For example the author of UAE constitution Adi Bitar عدي البيطار was a Jordanian born in Al Quds, Palestine Adi Bitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adi Bitar in a meeting with Sheik Rashid Al maktoum and Sheikh Mohammad Al Maktoum and Sheik Maktoum Al maktoum in Dubai in 1968

Judge Adi Bitar with HH the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE taking instructions regarding the UAE constitution.



The lawmakers and members in the FNC (UAE's version of parliament) today are at least educated to masters level, and most of them hold PHD's

Again i would say is it okay to insult anyone on internet. Doesn't Islam say not to use bad words for others?

The laws keep on changing as and when required from time to time to keep pace with the ever changing socio-political world.

Now if Pakistan's laws are not adaptable to current situations and have not been changed to suit and adapt to current situations isn't it a failure on our part?

I have seen how the the internet posts and comments were on websites and forums in UAE until some years before this law was brought into effect and I can confirm you that things have changed dramatically.

 

[Providence]

Arabs are so concerned about their privacy but in their society personal space means nothing. People interacting with you will want to stand like 1 foot away which is uncomfortable for a lot of other societies.