Police in Dubai have been targeting British expats and holidaymakers by swooping on areas hit by drones or missiles and demanding to look at people’s phones.
Anyone arrested for taking or sharing photos of the war could be jailed for life under draconian national security laws in the UAE, lawyers have warned.
But even those who have been sent photos by other people will be targeted by police looking for anyone breaching local cyber crime laws.
Radha Stirling, whose group, Detained in Dubai, is assisting people arrested since the conflict erupted last month, said they have received reports of dozens of British nationals being held at police stations for taking photos or posting about Iranian strikes – acts deemed alleged cyber crimes in the UAE.
“The police officers on the streets quickly go up to everyone in the area and say, ‘show me your phone’. If there’s a photograph, they take you into custody,” she told The i Paper. “If someone shares a photo or a video in a group and one of those people is arrested they’ll then go and target the other people who also received the photograph to check if they’ve then distributed it to other people.”
Others who received photos on group messages were informing authorities about the person who sent it, she said.
People living near the site of Iranian strikes are being sent text messages in Arabic and English that warn: “Photographing or sharing security or critical sites, or reposting unreliable information, may result in legal action and compromise national security and stability.”
Fears of attacks in prisons
Those arrested have faced being kept in overcrowded cells with no space to sleep and denied access to medication, consular representation and access to phones, said Stirling. There are also concerns that some may be subjected to physical assault while behind bars.
In a non-cyber crime case Detained in Dubai is dealing with, a British national currently held in the UAE smuggled out a handwritten note stating he and 15 other prisoners in his cell had been beaten by police.
Among 20 people charged under cyber crime laws linked to missile strikes is a British man in his sixties.
The group also includes a British airline employee detained when he shared a photo of Dubai airport with a private group of colleagues to ask whether it was safe to walk through the hub.
UAE law prohibits people from taking or sharing photos and videos that could “disturb public security”, with the length of detention up to authorities, said Stirling.
While cyber crime laws carry a sentence of up to two years and a fine of £40,000, some foreign nationals arrested were at risk of having their cases raised to a national security offence which can carry a life sentence, said Stirling.
Influencers treated ‘completely differently’
Influencers had been treated “completely differently” by UAE authorities to expats or travellers, Stirling claimed.
“Most of these crimes – or acts – were committed before the widespread warnings were circulated by the government, and most of them didn’t know, most of them regretted, it most of them were co-operative,” she said.
“They deleted the messages, instantly apologised, and they’re still taken into custody. Meanwhile, influencers were brought into the police station and simply told, delete that picture.”
The Foreign Office is understood to be providing consular assistance to five British nationals detained on charges relating to taking images of Iranian attacks, while some have already been released.
Reports from lawyers indicate the number held in detention facilities is around 50, said Stirling, who said British nationals detained overseas are increasingly bypassing the FCDO as they believe British officials can’t do anything to help them.
Stirling claimed: “Top-level diplomatic intervention from the UK remains ostensibly absent. Basic consular access for just a handful of Brits is simply not enough when citizens face lengthy jail terms for ‘crimes’ like taking a photo or letting a loved one know they’re ok.”
One British national being held in a police detention facility told her “every couple of hours a dozen French people are released, and the Brits are still in there”.
A Foreign Office 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.”
Hence then, the article about british expats targeted by dubai police even for being sent photos of air strike damage was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( British expats targeted by Dubai police even for being sent photos of air strike damage )
Also on site :
- Meet the ex-Google CMO who quit with a seven-figure package by 28—he says getting promoted was easy because he just ‘disregarded all the rules’
- Sivers Semiconductors Announces Availability of Daybreak™ 5G/6G Advanced ICs For Emerging FR3 Applications
- REGENXBIO Inc. Sued for Securities Law Violations - Contact the DJS Law Group to Discuss Your Rights - RGNX