Citizens and residents demanded an increase in the punishment of those who spread rumors and lies about the new virus, "Corona", emerging in the UAE, through social media, stressing the importance of being on the lookout for everyone who begged himself to spread fear and panic among members of society.
And «Emirates Today» monitored more than 20 rumors, since the beginning of last February, regarding the Corona virus, which included fabricating fake stories and news, circulating photos and fabricated messages about the infection of individuals and students in the virus inside schools, universities, residential communities, commercial centers, and the death of people as a result of being affected Infection with this virus, the escape of infected quarantines, the suspension of the study before its formal approval, and the prevention of expatriates from some countries from entering the UAE, and the need to purchase food in large quantities and store it in order to issue a decision to prevent going down the street.
The Ministries of Health and Community Protection and Education and the institutions that have been rumored in the country have been keen to completely deny them, confirming since the beginning of the outbreak of the Corona virus around the world, providing all facts to members of society in complete transparency.
In detail, many rumors of the Corona virus have recently spread through social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram), and among the most prominent of these rumors is a Filipina death in the country due to the virus, and it became clear that the deceased was suffering from respiratory infection, then laboratory tests showed that she was not infected With the emerging virus, as well as ending the services of teachers infected with "Corona", and the issuance of a decision for airlines in the country to prevent acceptance of Egyptian nationals, and those coming from Egypt, through sub-intermediate points, until further notice, due to the Corona virus, and the circulation of a fabricated image on social networking sites Show a man lying p Z wheelchair in the basement claimed that due to «Dubai Mall», allowing guests to the hotels, which have been applied to them to leave the quarantine system without conducting the necessary tests.
Citizen Massad Al-Harthy stressed the need to increase the penalty for anyone who is proven to be involved in spreading rumors about the Corona virus on social media, and to increase awareness of society members by not believing all the lies published on these sites, and to refer to the responsible authorities in the state , And most of them have active accounts on these sites.
Sameh Abdel Hamid agreed with him, saying that the rumors circulating about the Corona virus aim to stir terror among the members of society, and to undermine the stability of the state, stressing the importance of the media's role in spreading social awareness and reassuring members of the public by publishing the facts announced by the official authorities on an ongoing basis.
Adel Ahmed saw the necessity of strict enforcement in the penalties of those involved in spreading rumors on social networking sites, and educating individuals not to get carried away.
The legal advisor, Dr. Youssef Al Sharif, commented that “the Emirati legislator was keen on stabilizing security and social peace in the state, and it affected all those who begged himself to prejudice this stability, as it affects the security and safety of the state as an entity and its citizens and residents, and the consequences of that arousing panic What undermines the gains of the state’s union, unity and security of the state, so the legislator’s keen desire to perpetuate and punish any act that might prejudice the stability of our country in any way, and to prosecute and punish the perpetrator and remove him from the state if he was foreign ».
He cautioned that “rumors that are being broadcast today about the Corona virus are a form of spreading panic that threatens the stability of security and social peace, so raising any rumor, and its contemporary example, rumors related to the Corona virus represent a crime and is legally punishable, but rather this act is considered A law of crimes affecting the security of the state ».
He explained that, in terms of subjugation and punishment, Article (24) of Federal Decree Law No. 5 of 2012 regarding combating information technology crimes stipulated that “he shall be punished with temporary imprisonment and a fine of not less than 500 thousand dirhams and not exceeding one million dirhams whoever creates or runs a site Electronically, or supervising it, or publishing information on an information network or one of the means of information technology to promote or advocate for any programs or ideas that may stir discord, hatred, racism, sectarianism, harm national unity, social peace, or disturb public order or public morals ».
Article 28 of the decree of the same law stipulates that: “Anyone who creates or operates or supervises a website or uses information on the information network or an information technology means with the intention to incite acts, or to publish or broadcast information or News, cartoons, or any other images that would endanger the security of the state and its supreme interests or jeopardize public order. ”In addition, if the perpetrator of the crime was a foreigner, the legislator would have made the penalty of deportation a mandatory punishment, meaning the court must include in its ruling the penalty of deporting the foreign suspect from the state. After the implementation of the sanctions Precedent, which is stipulated in Article 42 of the Decree of the Law itself, which stipulates that “the court shall order the deportation of a foreigner who is convicted of a conviction for committing any of the crimes stipulated in this Decree by Law, after implementing the sentence imposed.”
And he added that in terms of considering these crimes as a violation of the security of the state, Article 44 of the decree of the same law stipulated that “the crimes mentioned in articles (4, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38) of this decree are considered a law of crimes.” The Diamond in State Security.
- The most important false news is ending the services of teachers, preventing some nationalities from entering the country, fleeing infected persons from quarantine, and registering deaths.