Premium

WATCH: UAE man arrested for locking up Indian football fans in cage

According to a report by The Khaleej Times, the man was apprehended by the authorities for promoting discrimination and violence through social media.

India during AFC Asian Cup 2019 match against UAE. (Source: AP)

Just a day after India’s 2-0 loss to UAE at the AFC Asian Cup football tournament, a video of a man in UAE locking up Indian fans inside a bird cage ahead of the clash has gone viral. According to a report by The Khaleej Times, the man was apprehended by the authorities for promoting discrimination and violence through social media.

In the video, the man was seen asking some of his workers which team do they support between India and UAE. The man then gave a bitter reply to the workers after they replied that they are Indian supporters and kept the locked up in a bird cage till they agreed to cheer for the UAE.

🔻دولـة الامارات العربية المتحدة
النائب العام للدولة: تم اتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية ضد صاحب فيديو حبس أشخاص من الجنسية الآسيوية داخل قفص طيور ليدفعهم لتشجيع المنتخب الإماراتي وعرضه على النيابة المختصة باعتبار أن هذا المسلك جريمة معاقب عليها قانونا ولايعبر عن قيم التسامح فالإمارات pic.twitter.com/twUlfbsXaQ

— فاطمة الحبسي (@AlhabsiFatma) 11 January 2019

The report adds that the UAE Attorney General’s office arrested the man and brought him for further interrogation. “The video allegedly shows a man who locked up several men of Asian nationality in a bird cage. They were supposed to cheer for the UAE national team in their match against India in the AFC Asian Cup,” the Attorney General was quoted as saying in a statement to the Dubai newspaper.

“Legal action was taken, with reports submitted to the prosecutor’s office. A warrant was issued for the man who made the video, and he was arrested and brought in for questioning,” the statement added.

After his arrest, the man released another video in which he claimed the entire act was a joke. “These men are my workers, one of whom I’ve known for 22 years. I live with my men on this farm, we eat from the same plate. I did not beat them, nor did I truly ‘lock’ them up,” he said.

On Thursday night, a valiant Indian football side went down fighting 0-2 against the UAE in their second league match of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 campaign in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Khaflan Mubarak’s struck in the 41st minute after which Ali Mabkhout put the game to bed in 88th min for UAE and ensured that the host country continues their dominance over the Blue Tigers.