An Emirati man is currently standing trial after threatening to kill his sister because she moved into her own flat, Khaleej Times reported.
The man threatened his 21-year-old sister in a series of WhatsApp messages in which he verbally abused and insulted her. During interrogations, the defendant admitted to sending the complainant death threats.
He justified his actions by saying he did so because she moved from Fujairah to Dubai without his consent.
The woman reported the death threats to police
In one of his messages, the man told his sister he would stab and beat her. The complainant then reported the matter to the police and used the messages she received as evidence against her brother.
He now faces charges that include "issuing insults and threats."
A verdict in his case will be heard on Jan. 20.
Some took the defendant's side
"It's a huge mistake for her to rebel against her family. It's a shame. This court should be ashamed they're helping women stand against their families."
And tweeted out things like this
"This news encourages a woman to do whatever she wants even if it goes against religion, values, and traditions."
However, others were having none of that
"What did she do to deserve this? And why are you overlooking the man's mistake even though he threatened to kill her?"
"He threatened to murder someone, he said he'll stab her!"
"Do you know what it means when someone threatens to take a life?!"
People were outraged by the case
"He's worried about his sister so he threatens to kill her? The state you're in is deplorable if you express your love with death threats and insults. Thank God there are laws in place to teach these people a lesson."
Many felt the defendant deserved to stand trial
"He deserves this."
Cybercrime laws are strict in the UAE
This isn't the first time a person is charged for misusing online apps in the UAE, a country that implements a strict cybercrime law.
Earlier this year, an Emirati court jailed a woman for looking through her husband's phone without his knowledge. Last year, a UAE court also deported a man for insulting his wife on WhatsApp.
The country's cybercrime law governs various aspects of the internet including social media posts made to Facebook and WhatsApp messages.