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Man arrested for locking India supporters inside bird cage in viral UAE video

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Man arrested for locking India supporters inside bird cage in viral UAE video

Abu Dhabi - The Attorney General had issued a statement regarding his offensive content.

Published: Fri 11 Jan 2019, 11:00 PM

Updated: Sat 12 Jan 2019, 6:12 PM

  • By
  • Lujein Farhat

After a statement was released by the UAE Attorney General's office regarding an offensive video showing several men "locked" in a birdcage, the owner of the video posted another clip on YouTube.

The man stands with four of the "locked" individuals and explains that he had done the entire "skit" as a joke.
"These men are my workers, one of whom I've known for 22 years. I live with my men on this farm, we eat from the same plate.
"I did not beat them, nor did I truly 'lock' them up.
He reiterates: "This is the Year of Tolerance. Please understand my intentions."    

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
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According to the statement by the Attorney General: "The video allegedly shows a man who locked up several men of Asian nationality in a bird cage. They were supposed to cheer for the UAE national team in their match against India in the AFC Asian Cup.   
"Legal action was taken, with reports submitted to the prosecutor's office.
"A warrant was issued for the man who made the video, and he was arrested and brought in for questioning.
"Not only is the act a criminal offence punishable by law in the UAE, it does not reflect the values of tolerance and respect. 
The statement ends with, "Discrimination is not acceptable, as we believe in equality of opportunity and meritocracy.
"People excel through their efforts and behaviour."
The post ends with several hashtags, including the #Year_of_Tolerance and #UAE_team. 
Sharjah Police had also responded to the incident on their social media page. 
"In response to the videos posted online which exhibit excessive prejudice during football matches, those responsible for spreading such videos have been apprehended.
"Spreading such videos contradicts our laws in the UAE. These individuals have been referred to the public prosecution for further investigation.
"Such actions do not represent neither the traditions nor the values upon which we were raised in the UAE, even if it was meant as a joke.
"Sharjah Police urge all members of society to familiarise themselves with the law when it comes to social media use, so they are not penalised in future."  
In the original video, the man has several workers stand behind a fence and asks them who do they support. Upon replying that they support India, he tells them that's not good, they live in the UAE and should support this country. After knocking on the wiring, he asks them again and they reply they support UAE and he lets them out of the cage. 
He then does a little jig in celebration of the upcoming match. The UAE did end up beating India in the match 2-0. 
The Anti-Discriminatory Law condemns actions that would comprise hate speech or the promotion of discrimination or violence against others using any form of media, including online, print, radio or visual media.  
Penalties for violation of the various provisions of the law include jail-terms of six months to over 10 years, and fines from Dh50,000 to Dh2 million.  
- lujein@khaleejtimes.com 



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