A high court in Abu Dhabi sentenced an Asian man to one year in prison and fined him Dh500,000 after he was found guilty of publishing pictures online deemed as insulting against Islamic religion.
A court of first instance had earlier sentenced the man to 7 years in prison and fined Dh500,000, prompting him to appeal the verdict.
A court of appeals reduced the jail sentence to 3 years and ordered the defendant to pay the same fine but he appealed again with the Court of Cassation.
The official daily Al Bayan said the Court of Cassation reduced the prison term to one year and fined the defendant Dh500,000.
It said the court decided to reduce the jail term after it found that the previous courts did not assign a lawyer for him.
The court also issued a reduced sentence after the defendant asserted that he published the pictures by mistake and had no criminal intention.
