UAE, who fights in Yemen to restore democratically elected president, sentences dissident professor to 10 years for online activism

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Rights group Amnesty International said a court in the United Arab Emirates had sentenced a dissident professor to 10 years in prison for online activism on Wednesday, calling the move a violation of free speech, according to Reuters.

Amnesty International identified the sentenced man as prominent dissident Nasser bin Ghaith.

State news agency WAM reported that an appeals court in the capital Abu Dhabi had sentenced an Emirati national, referred to only by the initials N.A.G., for social media activity.

Amnesty’s statement quoted its Middle East research deputy director Lynn Maalouf said “By imposing this ludicrous sentence in response to his peaceful tweets, the authorities have left no room for doubt: those who dare to speak their minds freely in the UAE today risk grave punishment.”

United Arab Emirates has participated in the war against Yemen in order to restore to power Yemen’s resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi as democratically elected president.