Tayseer al-Najjar is free

The Jordanian journalist Tayseer al-Najjar has been released after spending more than three years in UAE jails for a Facebook post.

In 2015, Al-Najjar was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 500,000 UAE Dirhams (US$136,000) for “insulting the state’s symbols.”

He was expected to be released on December 13, 2018 after completing his three-year prison sentence. However, UAE authorities continued to detain him as he was unable to pay the substantial fine.

Three months later, his wife, Majida Hourani, succeeded to raise the money after launching a donation campaign.

Tayseer al-Najjar's case is not the first of its kind. The Emirati activist Osama al-Najjar also remains in UAE custody despite the completion of his three-year prison term.