Early on Sunday, Abu Dhabi's Public Prosecution ordered the imprisonment of three young men and a woman who posted an "unlawful" video on YouTube, Khaleej Times reported.
Last week, police forces arrested the first suspect who had filmed, edited, and posted the video on his YouTube channel. A further investigation into the case then led to the arrest of the three others who had participated in its creation.
The video featured "a young woman and a man having a conversation inside a car despite them not being related, which is against norms of UAE society," the local English language daily wrote.
During their investigation, the defendants admitted to sharing the footage online. They explained that their intention was to spread awareness among young women and warn them against going out with strangers they've met on social media.
"The suspects also told prosecutors that the original film was 33 minutes but they edited it to a short clip."
After the video went viral on social media across the GCC, it received backlash from thousands who deemed it 'inappropriate.'
It has since been taken down.
A strict warning
Abu Dhabi Police said the offenders were identified after officers tracked down the social media account of the man who posted the video online.
Abu Dhabi Police said the footage "was contrary to the values, norms and traditions of the UAE society and that raised a wave of worry among the viewers."
Brigadier General, Tariq Khalfan Al Ghoul, Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigations Department at Abu Dhabi Police, said that actions featured in the video not only violate the country's laws, but are also unacceptable because they are unethical and offensive to society.
After the latest incident, the Abu Dhabi Police department issued a strict warning to nationals and residents, asking them to respect the UAE's laws and traditions.
