Why did the U.A.E. slap amateur satirists with jail time?

Update: Amateur sketch comic Shezanne Cassim, who was recently released from a U.A.E. prison, returned to the United States on Thursday. He swiftly spoke out against the "kangaroo court" that imprisoned him and maintains: "I did nothing wrong." 

Original post Jan 6: An amateur parody video about a sandal-throwing combat school in Dubai has landed five young men, including 29-year-old Shezanne "Shez" Cassim, in jail.

In December, authorities in the United Arab Emirates sentenced Cassim, a sketch comedy enthusiast, and his friends to one year in prison and slapped them with a roughly $2,700 fine. 

This despite international cries for clemency, social media campaigns calling for their release and the support of high profile comedians like Will Ferrell. 

Guest host Terry O'Reilly gets insight on the situation from journalist Ben Hubbard, Middle East correspondent for The New York Times. Hubbard explains the recent trend toward social media crackdowns, the special targeting of satire, and why international pressure doesn't seem to be working. 

The following video -- Ultimate Combat System: The Deadly Satwa Gs -- is the amateurish comedy sketch that attracted the attention of UAE authorities.