Dubai hotel head of security in blasphemy trial

Three employees from a five star Dubai hotel are currently on trial in Dubai, according to a report by Arabian Business. 

One employee, an Emirati who is head of security at the hotel, is on trial for blasphemy and committing a publicly indecent act. Two other employees from the hotel, an Egyptian manager and Sudanese colleague, are on trial for breaching the Emirati’s privacy, by sharing a video of the incident on social media.

According to Gulf News, the Emirati was said to have disparaged Christianity verbally and committed “an indecent gesture in public” during the party. The incident was recorded by an Egyptian manager also working at the hotel on his phone, who then forwarded it to a Sudanese colleague.

The footage was then posted on Instagram.

The incident was brought to light when the Emirati attended a police station on 29 December, complaining that his privacy had been breached by the decision to post the clip on social media.

The National reported that a policeman had told the Dubai Criminal Court that: “He told us that after the Christmas party was over, he was just having fun and stood behind the microphone saying, ‘Merry Christmas and wishing you the best,’ before he said, ‘To hell, and evil is such a destination’. He then pointed at his private parts in a gesture of degradation."

Prosecutors then accused the Emirati suspect of blasphemy and committing a publicly indecent act. The Egyptian and Sudanese colleagues have been accused of breaching the Emirati’s privacy and committing an act that insults a religion using information technology.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The next hearing in the case will be on 27 March.