Two former Al Dhafra players jailed over ‘offensive’ internet video

Two footballers will each spend three months in jail over an offensive video that went viral on the internet

ABU DHABI // ‎Two footballers have each been jailed for three months over an offensive video that went viral on the internet.

A Q, 29, a former Al Dhafra player, was filmed by his colleague, R M, in the dressing room. He appeared shirtless, made indecent gestures and insulted the UAE national team coach, Mahdi Ali.

He attacked the coach for substituting him with another player during the match. A Q was suspended from Al Dhafra club after the video came out.

The pair were charged with using telecommunications services to offend and hurt the feelings of others, and displaying a recording that breached public ethics through the web.

The Court of Misdemeanors found the owner of the website that published the video, J M, who was arrested with the two players, not guilty of using information technology methods to edit the recording for defamation purposes, and using the web to publish the defamed person’s photo illegally.

The court also ordered the removal of the video from the website.