Newspaper suspended for 20 days over story race horse

Reporters Without Borders condemns an Abu Dhabi federal appeal court decision on 3 July suspending both the print and online versions of the Arabic-language daily Al Emarat Al Youm for 20 days from yesterday and fining it 20.000 dirhams (3,900 euros) over a 2006 article about the doping of a race horse owned by two of the sons of United Arab Emirates President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. “This ruling poses a threat to the independence of investigative media in the United Arab Emirates,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The sentence is disproportionate and liable to intimidate media, which will assume that they could also be suspended or fined if they publish articles that displease those in positions of influence.” A lawsuit brought by the president’s sons, owners of the Warsan stables, accused the newspaper’s editor, Sami Al Riami, and its owner, Abdul Latif Al-Sayegh (who is also chairman of the Arab Media Group) of deliberately publishing false and inappropriate information in the 2006 article about the Warsan stables horse “Mohammed”. The Arab Media Group is part of Dubai Holding, owned by United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, a well-known race horse enthusiast. The original trial opened in January 2008. The appeal court issued the suspension order under article 15 of the 1980 publications law. The newspaper’s owner said the company would comply. Other newspapers in the United Arab Emirates referred to the alleged doping but only Al Emarat Al Youm was sued.