UAE Champion of Human Rights

[whichphilosophy]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-court-odd-idUSKCN0Y91LK

A woman was fined and ordered to be deported from the United Arab Emirates for breaching her husband's privacy by checking his cell phone to see if he was cheating on her, Gulf News reported on Wednesday.

The unnamed Arab expatriate was fined 150,000 dirhams ($40,843) by the criminal court in the emirate of Ajman, the English-language newspaper said.

Her lawyer told the paper she had accused her husband of having an affair. She admitted she had accessed his phone without his permission and transferred photos to her device, the lawyer added.

The husband lodged a complaint with the court which convicted her on Thursday last week under a cyber crime law which penalizes "the invasion of privacy of another person" using information technology, the paper said.

It said the couple were in their 30s but gave no other information.

(Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Heavens)

It could have been worse; she could have been a domestic worker

https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/united-arab-emirates


The UAE does have laws protecting workers (UAE Labour Law) with minimum holidays and leaves etc, but are exempt under the following Law Clause 3 are exempted from such protections.


U.A.E. LABOUR LAWFEDERAL LAW NO. (8) OF 1980LABOUR LAW AND ITS AMENDMENTS

“THE PROVISIONS OF THIS LAW ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
a)OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENTAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE MEMBER EMIRATES OF THE STATE, OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES AND
WORKERS OF MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL AS OTHER OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS,
WORKING IN FEDERAL AND LOCAL PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS
THE OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS APPOINTED FOR GOVERNMENTAL FEDERAL AND
LOCAL PROJECTS.
b) MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF POLICE AND SECURITY.
c) DOMESTIC SERVANTS WORKING IN PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND THE LIKE.
d) WORKERS EMPLOYED IN AGRICULTURE OR PASTURES, OTHER THAN THOSE PERSONS
EMPLOYED IN THE AGRICULTURAL CORPORATIONS ENGAGED IN PROCESSING THEIR PRODUCTS
OR THOSE PERMANENTLY ENGAGED IN OPERATING OR REPAIRING MECHANICAL MACHINES
REQUIRED FOR AGRICULTURE”.

 

[Derec]

I have no problem with laws prohibiting accessing somebody else's phone without permission.

 

[whichphilosophy]

I have no problem with laws prohibiting accessing somebody else's phone without permission.

Each instance would be dependant on the circumstances. However I don't think many in Europe or the USA would think deporting and fining them US$40,000 for checking their husband's phone would be an appropriate response.

I don't think many husbands in the West would take their current wife to court for such an incident.

 

[barbos]

It would be funny if it is husband who actually end up to paying the fine.

 

[Metaphor]

A ludicrous punishment in a ludicrous country. It's hard to imagine being deported is a downside though, unless 'home' is Saudi Arabia.

 

[Derec]

I don't think many husbands in the West would take their current wife to court for such an incident.

When the alternative is paying hundreds or more dollars each month in alimony forever, they might think about it.

 

[whichphilosophy]

A ludicrous punishment in a ludicrous country. It's hard to imagine being deported is a downside though, unless 'home' is Saudi Arabia.

The UAE is more liberal though rape victims have been jailed for adultery.

 

[Jayjay]

Somehow, I don't think that there would have been a case had it been the husband checking his wife's phone.

 

[whichphilosophy]

Somehow, I don't think that there would have been a case had it been the husband checking his wife's phone.

The problem is the laws seem to be taken literally
http://ejustice.gov.ae/downloads/latest_laws/cybercrimes_5_2012_en.pdf

She was prosecuted under ARTICLE 21 where the law itself doesn't distinguish between male and female.

Article 21
Shall be punished by imprisonment of a period of at least six months and a fine not less than one hundred and fifty thousand dirhams and not in excess of five hundred thousand dirhams or either of these two penalties whoever uses a computer network or and electronic information system or any information technology means for the invasion of privacy of another person in other than the cases allowed by the law and by any of the following ways:
1- Eavesdropping, interception, recording, transferring, transmitting or disclosure of conversations or communications, or audio or visual materials.
2- Photographing others or creating, transferring, disclosing, copying or saving electronic photos.
3- Publishing news, electronic photos or photographs, scenes, comments, statements or information even if true and correct.
.......................

Drinking is allowed (though technically not legal). Every so often locals caught drunk are given a flogging.