Dubai police have filed the first case just a week after the UAE issued a law against hate crime and discrimination on July 20, Emirates 24 reported.
Mohammad Al Hodaif, a Saudi national, reportedly made hateful and offending comments against the UAE on Twitter. Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, the deputy commander of Dubai Police and General Security, told Emirat Al Youm that he had "filed a case against Al Hadeef for his continuous insults against the UAE and for instigating hatred against the country."
It remains unclear if Hodaif was in the UAE when tweeting about the country. Hodaif, with 542,000 followers on Twitter, is an outspoken critic of the GCC and the UAE.
"Hodaif's criticism of the UAE's politics in 140 characters terrified them and had [Dahi] Khalfan calling for a prosecution and going after Al Hodaif."
The police commander said he would push for Hodaif's prosecution in the UAE and abroad after police prepared a case against him. Tamim also said that the police would issue an order to bring Hadaif before UAE courts, noting that this procedure fell under the new law.
“There is a big difference between criticism within the law and making insults or instigating hatred against others. Hodaif is a provoker and instigator and will be arrested,” he added.