Man arrested in Dubai over ‘threatening’ emojis returned to Dublin
Reading time: 1 minute
Stuart Quiney
An Irish man charged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with sending “threatening” emojis has been returned to Ireland.
Stuart Quiney, 39, had been detained since September and faced a lengthy prison sentence in connection with the alleged messages, which he sent from Ireland to a Belgian man in Dubai before he arrived there himself.
He was released from detention after paying a fine of AED 10,000 (around €2,595) following an intervention by campaign group Detained in Dubai.
Lawyer Radha Stirling, who founded the group, said: “The public should be aware that Stuart was lucky to get away without going to prison. His ordeal could have been prevented had he instructed a UAE police check before travel, and we’d encourage repeat visitors to investigate their status before booking.
“The UAE cybercrime laws are so vague that almost everyone visiting the UAE is already in violation before they arrive. The UAE applies its laws extraterritorially so visitors can be charged with online communication made from outside the country, even years before travelling to the Emirates.”
She added: “Stuart will get to spend Christmas at home and we are very happy for him and his family.”
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
