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Up to 70 British nationals have been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for taking photos and videos of Iranian attacks, a UK-based campaign group has claimed.
Detained in Dubai chief executive Radha Stirling said she believed dozens of Britons had been arrested in Dubai UAE for sharing war images under the country’s “draconian” cybercrime laws.
“We’re talking my estimate is closer to 50 to 70 and maybe even more. I think by the end of this year we’ll see many more, maybe 100, maybe 150,” he told Sky News.
But the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it had only provided consular assistance to a “small number” of British citizens detained over the issue in the Gulf country.
“We are providing consular assistance to a small number of British nationals detained in the UAE in connection with this matter, and our ambassador is in communication with the Emirati authorities regarding their cases,” an FCDO spokesperson said.
Damage from a drone strike at the Address Creek Harbor hotel in Dubai. photo: AP
Five Britons are currently receiving consular assistance in the UAE after being detained on the charges, and several have been released, Sky News reported.
Ms Stirling, a human rights advocate and lawyer focuses on Dubaisaid many British citizens were being detained for sharing updates on their well-being, after Iran launched missile and drone attacks on its Gulf neighbors in response to US and Israeli attacks.
“Most people are unaware and unaware of these cybercrime laws and the extent to which they can be applied, especially in situations like this,” he said.
“There’s no way any of these people would have known that it was illegal to send a private message to their colleagues and say, ‘here I am, I’ve arrived at the airport. Is it safe for me to walk past, given this explosion,’ and then share photos of the explosion with my colleagues.”.”
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Stirling rejected criticism that Britons who chose to move to the UAE to take advantage of tax exemptions were not eligible to receive government aid.
“When your citizens are locked up, when they are arbitrarily detained, when they are prosecuted under the national security law just for sending photos to loved ones, that’s when your government needs to take action,” he said.
“And it is irrelevant whether there are taxes or no taxes in the UAE, our government is obliged to provide those services or we will look weak diplomatically and in the eyes of the world.”
Warning issued by the UAE. Photo: Reuters
Ms Stirling said anyone arrested under the cyber security law could face harsh penalties under the UAE’s strict laws, including life imprisonment.
“There are expatriates, tourists, there are also those who just share personal messages saying ‘Mom, I’m fine’, or to husbands or wives abroad; ‘This building has just been blown up. I live here. This is a photo of me in my apartment’.
“People have just been arrested, tried, or charged and even have potential national security charges in Abu Dhabi, which could land them in prison for life.”
