Twenty-one people, including a 60-year-old British tourist, have been charged under the UAE’s cybercrime laws for filming and sharing videos of Iranian missile and drone attacks, according to a group that provides legal aid to people arrested in the UAE.
The British man was arrested in Dubai on Monday under a law that prohibits the publication or sharing of images that could incite panic or spread rumors, the group Dubai Detention told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the Dubai government for comment.
The UK Foreign Office told CNN: “We are liaising with local authorities following the detention of a British man in the UAE.”
The man was charged along with 20 others as the UAE cracks down on people sharing videos of missile and drone attacks on Iranian territory, according to Dubai Custody.
Radha Sterling, CEO of Dubai Detention Center, told CNN that all were charged under the same indictment. Under UAE cybercrime laws, anyone who reposts or comments on videos can also face criminal charges.
“One video can quickly lead to criminal charges against dozens of people,” Dubai Detainees said in a statement.
Stirling told CNN that an unnamed British tourist had filmed a missile passing overhead, but “immediately deleted it” at the request of police. He was then arrested, she said.
The penalty for violating the UAE’s cybercrime law is a minimum of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 UAE dinars (approximately $54,000). Sterling said multiple charges can be stacked.
Mr Stirling said the charges against the Briton were “very vague”.
Those indicted are suspected of “using information networks and information technology tools to broadcast, publish, republish and disseminate false news, rumors and provocative propaganda that could incite public opinion or disrupt public order,” the Dubai detainee said.
In a separate incident, Sterling said an Indian student at Dubai University was arrested after filming a missile attack on the Palm Islands. She said he shared the video in a family group chat and remains in custody.
He also said that two French nationals were arrested early in the conflict for photographing missiles, but were released without charge.
CNN has contacted the French and Indian consulates in Dubai for comment.
Plainclothes police officers are arresting people seen filming missile attacks, according to Dubai Detention.
In an interview with British radio station LBC, Mansour Abulhoul, the UAE ambassador to the UK, said: “The UAE is very safe.”
“The UAE has guidelines and regulations to ensure people’s safety,” he said, adding that the UAE was discouraging people from filming to avoid being hit by “falling debris.”
Last Friday, the UAE Attorney General warned the public against disseminating photos or videos of the attack scene or inaccurate information that could cause panic.
Another government warning, circulated via email, text message and public information announcement, states: “Photographing or sharing of security or sensitive sites or reposting unreliable information may lead to legal action and undermine national security and stability. Compliance helps keep communities safe and stable.”
Another warned people: “Think before you share. Spreading rumors is a crime.”
In a post on X, the British Embassy in the UAE said: “UAE authorities warn against taking, posting and sharing images of crime scenes and projectile damage, as well as government buildings and diplomatic missions. British nationals are subject to UAE law and breaches can lead to fines, imprisonment and deportation.”
More than 1,800 drones and missiles have been launched in the UAE since the war began, the country’s Ministry of Defense said on Friday’s X news agency. Six people were killed and 141 injured.
