On Wednesday, according to the Emirates News Agency, the Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution Office has ordered the arrest of a sports journalist in Abu Dhabi for using social media to publish a tweet with "racist language".
The journalist was not named in the report which said the action is considered criminal behavior, according to the Law on Combatting Discrimination and Hatred.
Furthermore, the Emirates News Agency did not elaborate on the details of the offensive tweet but said that the stature of the accused as a media professional has exacerbated the crime, as "he is a public figure with influence on his followers".
An official statement was also later posted in the form of a lengthy thread on Twitter by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
"Abu Dhabi's prosecution office orders the arrest of a sports presenter after he shared a racist tweet. This behavior is considered criminal under anti-racism and discrimination laws. His actions are also punishable by the country's cybercrime laws."
The National also quoted the Prosecution Office as saying the law in the UAE has strict guidelines to prevent any behavior that could potentially spread discrimination within the community.
The Abu Dhabi Prosecution Office warned against the use of social media to spread information that might damage the community.
Referring to Law No. 02 of 2015 on combatting discrimination and hatred, which criminalizes all actions against religions and their sanctities, as well as various forms of discrimination and hate speech, the prosecution urged people to avoid using social media platforms for spreading ill messages that harm the society.
It also asked the public to be very cautious when preparing, producing, publishing or sending any messages, indications, sketches, pictures or recordings whether they are visible, audible, or readable, and to ensure that they do not harm the society and public order.