RIYADH: Prominent Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined 1 million AED ($272,000) on charges of criticizing the United Arab Emirates government on social media, The National newspaper reported late on Wednesday.
A trade and tourism hub, the UAE is an absolute monarchy that tolerates little public criticism of its ruling system and has prosecuted Mansoor and other pro-democracy activists for what it called insulting the country’s leaders.
Mansoor, an electrical engineer, and poet was arrested in March 2017 and accused of promoting a sectarian and hate-incited agenda. The court cleared him of terrorism-related charges, according to The National.