Friday, 18 September 2020_A dissident Emirati activist has said that the United Arab Emirates is cracking down hard on anti-Israel sentiment with 10-year prison sentences amid the Persian Gulf country’s push to establish formal relations with the Israeli regime.
“We were born and lived in the UAE and we know that the position of the Emiratis regarding Palestine is firm and definitive; the Palestinian cause lies in the heart of all Emiratis,” Hamad al-Shamesi said in an interview with the Arabi 21 online newspaper.
Explaining why a limited number of Emirati activists had denounced Abu Dhabi’s rapprochement with Israel, al-Shamesi said “the answer is very obvious, anyone who criticizes the government has to pay a heavy price”.
“He may be condemned to pay up to one million dirhams (US $272,260) and 10 years in jail,” he added.
“Unfortunately the government has stepped up its repressive measures against citizens and immigrants with a focus on security policies and controlling beliefs. People are paying a high price for this,” he said.
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