“The Dubai Supreme Court has set a landmark ruling declaring that deportation orders should not be removed on appeal whenever expatriates are found guilty of religious crimes. Expatriates are often sentenced to deportation after completing a punishment such as a jail term or fine. But when this sentenced is referred to the Appeal Court and Supreme Courts this can be removed.
“However, in the case of religious crime it should always be upheld, so long as the conviction stays.” This from Gulf News, with thanks to nicolei.
“A special clause has been placed in the legal texts, making clear that a deportation order should never be reduced and should always be followed up.
A general rule stipulates deportation as a punishment for all types of religious crimes. The landmark ruling was based on the case of a Christian priest sentenced to a year in jail and deportation for ‘evangelising’ without gaining permission.
“On April 27, the Dubai Court of First Instance suspended the sentence for three years because of the age and record of the offender. Judges said they had shown leniency because the 54-year-old Filipino priest was unlikely to repeat his crime. The convict had been charged with opposing Islam and its teachings and calling on people to convert to Christianity by distributing publications, recordings and Bibles in public during Ramadan. The court impounded the publications and recordings but did not confiscate the Bibles.
“On May 25, the Appeal Court cancelled the deportation order and upheld the rest of the ruling. But the General Prosecution appealed that ruling in the Supreme Court, which set its new landmark ruling and confirmed the deportation order. The priest was reported to the authorities by an Egyptian government employee who told the police that the Filipino had given him a package containing recordings, pamphlets and brochures promoting Christianity, as well as a Bible.
“Agents of the Central Investigation Department moved in and arrested the priest in a sting operation.” A sting operation.