Posting this to Facebook could get you locked up in the UAE - but not in Qatar!
An Australian woman was arrested and then deported from UAE after posting a photo of a car blocking two handicapped parking spots.
Qatar's former justice minister has said that the chance of a similar incident happening here is "highly unlikely".
Criminal attorney and former justice minister Dr. Najeeb Al Nuaimi told Doha News that it was highly unlikely that an expat or Qatari would be arrested for posting a similar picture.
That’s because Qatar and the UAE differ in their definitions of slander, libel and public shaming.
"In the UAE, this (incident) is seen as 'you’re showing someone in a bad light' or that you’re questioning the duty of the police."
"They didn't do their job well, and have let this happen, and now you're posting it and offending them," he said.
Here, however, the local government would regard sharing such a photo as a "a mark of public service".
"We have Qataris posting all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (about) things that they don’t like, or wrong things that they see…Here, it’s seen as doing something good."
Jodi Magi was arrested and jailed in the UAE for writing "bad words" on social media, Al Jazeera reported.
"After 53 hours in custody, having been shackled at the ankles, strip-searched, blood tested, forced to sleep on a concrete floor without a mattress or pillow and having no access to toilet paper or eating utensils, I can happily say I AM SAFE & OUT OF JAIL AND ABU DHABI!," the 39-year-old artist said after being deported.
Magi was found guilty at a trial last month, but when she attended an Abu Dhabi court to pay a fine on Monday, she was detained by officials.
The photo at the centre of the case reportedly showed a vehicle without any disabled stickers, blocking two car spots reserved for those with disabilities at Magi's apartment block.
Magi defended her post:
"Obviously, I think a $3600 fine and deportation with a complimentary incarceration period was an extreme reaction to a jpg of a car when I did not swear or mention a single name and blocked the registration plate."
However, Al Nuaimi said that under Qatar law residents could still be prosecuted for publicly shaming a person or a business.
He also told Doha News that those who publish videos or photos of victims or pictures related to the personal lives of others without their consent or their family’s approval could be penalized under Qatar’s judicial system.
Be careful of what you post online people - pictures of accidents are out, pictures of bad parking are in!
Aafi ................. Interesting post ............... Thu, 23.07.2015, 11.00 hrs
you mean even here?
better not post anything silly online... Dont wanna get deported because of a pic....
GCC countries are one big airport your never there for long and just follow the rules and fly out with your money.
Shows how throwing money by the bucket load at PR does not always do the trick. This slip up shows UAE for what it is.
A car bra. Is that what keeps your engine falling off?
I used to have the same on my Pink Kia.. But now I have a Car Bra which provides better protection
Gasoline: Its a protective coating for the paintwork when travelling long distances at high speed..insects, stone chips and road debris can mess up the paint pretty bad...
please post it i would like to see it.
Typo not Cambridge... Toyota Camry.
Firstly what is that orange stuff on the white Cambridge? I seen quite few cars with it...
Secondly it's clear the Aussies woman took a photo of a person of influence or a Sheikh owned vehicle.
Blocking a parking spot for disabled is a violation of traffic laws. The criminals run free and are well protected. Ridiculous.
I was going to post a picture of Rizks' Tuk-Tuk parked at the HIA long term car park