Defendant denies insulting leaders of UAE on social media

The five men are accused of spreading information, news, rumours and pictures using various accounts on Twitter and Instagram to defame the UAE.

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ABU DHABI // A man accused of insulting the leaders of the UAE on social media denied the charges on Monday at the Federal Supreme Court.

H H, 33, from a Gulf country, along with four others who are being tried in their absence, are accused of spreading information, news, rumours and pictures using accounts on Twitter and Instagram to defame the UAE.

The court heard the men used the Twitter handles @bo3skor101, @bo3skor2021, and @northsniper, as well as Instagram accounts with the name of @bo3skor1011 and @9ip to post insulting pictures of the UAE and its rulers.

A prosecutor said the purpose of the accounts was to ridicule and ruin the reputation of the Rulers and symbols of the country. The group will be tried under the cybercrimes law.

H H denied the charges, saying he knew nothing about the accounts or the information spread on them.

He said he was asked by his manager, J H, one of the other defendants, to buy five Sim cards costing about Dh5,000.

When he asked what they were for, J H said it was for international roaming services.

The case was adjourned until April 20.

aalkhoori@thenational.ae