No independent media in the UAE, says Reporters Without Borders

No independent media in the UAE, says Reporters Without Borders

The UAE has been ranked 133 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index's 2019 survey on media freedom around the world, falling five places from last year.   

Commenting on the findings, the report's authors, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said that the Emirati regime had become masters of the online surveillance of journalists, who often fall victim to the country’s repressive 2012 cyber-crime law.

"The least criticism of the regime by citizen-journalists or bloggers is likely to lead to charges of defamation, insulting the state or posting false information with the aim of damaging the country’s reputation, with the possibility of long jail terms and mistreatment in prison."

The international watchdog shed light on the cases of Ahmed Mansoor and Osama al-Najjar, who continues to be arbitrarily detained in the UAE despite completing his sentence in March 2017.

Emirati blogger Ahmed Mansoor was sentenced to 10 years in prison after criticising the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) government on social media.

 

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