uncredited/APShezanne Cassim of Woodbury, Minn., was arrested in April in the United Arab Emirates for a YouTube parody video. Cassim, after a protracted battle between his family and officials with the Arab nation, will be released Thursday.
The Minnesota man locked up after making a parody video in the United Arab Emirates will be released this week.
Shezanne Cassim, who wound up behind bars for a video poking fun at Dubai's sub-culture of Arab youths trying to mimic rap culture, will be set free Thursday following a seven-month-long stint in jail, a family spokeswoman told CNN.
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Authorities with the Arab nation arrested him in April after his video mocking people described as 'Satwa G' - relatively pampered suburban kids who put on thuggish airs - made the rounds on YouTube.
Cassim - who was initially sentenced to a year in prison in December - was the subject of impassioned pleas from his family and supporters in the U.S.
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The parody video portrays Cassim going through combat training at a fictional Satwa G fight school. The humorous training including throwing shoes, using headbands as weapons and then cruising through the city in a luxury SUV.
Staunch advocates for comedy's role in freedom of speech launched their own separate campaign to get Cassim released.
The website FunnyorDie.com, founded by actor Will Ferrell, mobilized its network of comedians to publicize Cassim's case.
idejohn@nydailynews.com
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