The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday said anyone expressing sympathy or bias towards Qatar or objecting to their stand on the ongoing row with the country could face action, including prison, reported Reuters.

“Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form,” Gulf News quoted UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying.

Offenders could also face a fine of at least 5,00,000 dirhams ($1,36,000), the regional newspaper added.

Social media has been flooded with pro and anti Qatar slogans in Arabic. A number of newspapers and television channels in the region have also been engaged in a war of words over the issue.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said further measures could also be taken if necessary. “You cannot rule out further measures. We hope that cooler heads will prevail, that wiser heads will prevail and we will not get to that,” he told Reuters.

Gargash told AFP that the actions taken by the Gulf Arab states were not aimed at seeking a regime change in Qatar. “This is not about regime change – this is about change of policy, change of approach,” Gargash said.

He also accused Qatar of funding “extremism and terrorism in the region”.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Maldives, Libya and Yemen cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar, and suspended flights to and from the country. The UAE also asked Qatari citizens to return home within 14 days. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority revoked the licence of Qatar Airways and ordered its offices to be closed within 48 hours.