A British man is among 20 people who have been charged in the United Arab Emirates under cybercrime laws in relation to the filming and publication of material related to Iranian attacks on the country.
The 60-year-old man, believed to be a tourist visiting Dubai, was charged under a law that prohibits the sharing of material that could disrupt public safety.
The case was highlighted by Detained in Dubai, an organization that provides legal assistance to people in the United Arab Emirates.
While restrictions on filming attacks during conflicts are not unusual globally, the case has drawn attention due to the UAE’s reputation as a magnet for influencers whose livelihoods depend on constant filming and publication. Despite the law, images of recent Iranian attacks have been widely spread on social media.
Radha Stirling, head of Detainees in Dubai, said the unnamed man, who is from London, had been charged along with 20 other people after police found a video of an Iranian missile attack in Dubai on his phone, even though he had apparently deleted the video from his phone immediately when questioned.
According to the official summary of the case, the defendants would have used an information network or an information technology tool to disseminate, publish, republish or circulate false news, rumors or provocative propaganda that could incite public opinion or disturb public safety.
“The charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online,” Stirling said in a statement.
“Under UAE cybercrime laws, the person who originally posts content can be charged, but anyone who modifies, reposts or comments on it can also be charged.”
One video can quickly lead to dozens of people facing criminal charges. Penalties in such cases can include up to two years in prison, fines ranging from AED 20,000 (£4,000) to AED 200,000, or both, and foreign nationals will also face deportation.
Stirling warned that the risk is compounded because multiple charges can apply, meaning a person who reposts multiple clips or articles could, in theory, face cumulative charges and multiple sentences, even when the actions were completely innocent.
“Countless images, videos and news about the conflict circulate on the Internet. People understandably assume that if something is already widely shared or published by the media, it must be acceptable to comment on or repost it. In the UAE, that assumption can be extremely dangerous,” he said.
“Journalists have traveled to Dubai specifically to film missile interceptions, sending footage to editors abroad, who then publish it from outside the country. But once that material appears online, residents and visitors within the UAE who share or comment on it could suddenly find themselves accused of spreading rumors or harming public safety.”
The case comes amid the imposition of strict new rules on journalists and members of the public, including visiting foreigners, during a time of high tensions in the Middle East.
Restrictions on Iran are particularly severe, while Gulf monarchies, which have been the target of unprecedented drone and missile attacks by Iran, have also imposed stricter controls.
Israel has banned the publication of content considered a direct security threat, such as live broadcasts showing city skylines during missile attacks, images identifying locations of missile impact sites, or information on military plans and air defenses.
Governments appear particularly concerned about images that reveal the location of missile and drone attacks, or that show intercepted projectiles.
AFP, one of the few international media outlets with a bureau in Tehran, said this week that it was unable to visit the site of the attack on a school in the southern city of Minab, where Iranian authorities say more than 150 people, many of them children, were killed by a US Tomahawk missile.
