As many as 70 UK citizens have been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for taking photos or videos of Iran’s attacks, a campaign group has claimed.
Detained in Dubai chief executive Radha Stirling has said she estimates dozens of Brits have been arrested in the UAE under the country’s “draconian” cybercrime laws.
She told Sky News: “We’re talking approaching 50 to 70 was my estimate and possibly even more. I think by the end of this we’ll see a lot more, possibly 100, maybe 150.”
It comes weeks after a British man, 60, was detained in Dubai after he allegedly filmed missiles in the city, despite deleting the video immediately when asked to, Ms Stirling told The Independent at the time.
The United Arab Emirates has faced a steady barrage of Iranian missiles and drones since conflict broke out in the Middle East at the end of February. More than 2,300 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles have been fired at the Gulf state by Iran, according to the country’s Ministry of Defence.
Ms Stirling warned in a blogpost that the UAE has implemented “an extensive cybercrime enforcement campaign” since the outbreak of the Iran war in the Gulf, targeting people who filmed, shared or discussed events linked to missile and drone activity in the country.
“More concerning is the increasing classification of these cases under national security frameworks, exposing individuals to severe penalties, prolonged detention, and significantly reduced access to due process,” she wrote.
The Dubai Media Office issued a warning early on in the conflict as a crackdown on what they called “outdated” and “misleading” videos and images of past fire incidents in the city.
“The public and media are urged to rely solely on official sources for accurate information and refrain from sharing unverified material. Legal action will be taken against those who publish or republish such content in violation of UAE law,” the statement said.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has said they are providing consular assistance to “a small number” of British nationals detained in the UAE.
It is understood that British nationals are not obliged to inform the FCDO when they are detained, although staff remain on hand to support Brits abroad 24/7.
Five British nationals are currently receiving consular assistance having been detained on charges relating to taking images of Iranian attacks, while some others have already been released, The Independent understands.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are providing consular assistance to a small number of British nationals detained in the UAE in connection with this issue, and our Ambassador is engaging with the Emirati authorities about their cases.”
