UAE threatens to jail April Fool’s pranksters

The UAE has warned residents against spreading “false rumours … and pranks” as April Fool’s Day jokes today, saying this “harms society” and could land people in jail for one year.

The State Prosecutor’s Office has warned against the use of social media platforms to partake in the annual April Fool’s Day ritual saying “that rumours negatively affect society, harm public interests, spread negative spirit and disturb public security, confirming that launching them is a crime punishable by law with imprisonment for a period of no less than a year.”

Prison terms, the official news agency WAM said, would apply to “anyone who intentionally broadcasts false or malicious news, data, or rumours, or broadcast exciting propaganda if this disturbs public security, instils terror among people, or harms public interest.”

This is no joke!

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