British tourist, 60, is arrested in Dubai after ‘filming footage of Iranian missiles’
A British tourist has been arrested in Dubai after reportedly filming Iranian missiles, it has been claimed.
The 60-year-old man, from London, who is understood to have been on holiday, was taken into custody on Monday, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai.
He is currently being held at a police station in the Bur Dubai area of the Emirati city.
The tourist was reportedly seen filming missiles at the time of his arrest. It is not known whether the footage was shared on social media.
It came amid retaliatory Iranian strikes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and across the broader Gulf region after Iran was attacked by the US and Israel on February 28.
The man could face up to two years in prison or a fine, if he is charged under the state’s cybercrime laws.
Accusations related to national security legislation could see him handed an even longer custodial sentence.
Currently, the man has not been charged – and he could still be released without further action.
The 60-year-old man, from London, who is understood to have been on holiday, was taken into custody on Monday, according to The Telegraph. Pictured: Smoke billows in Dubai after a strike on March 2
It came amid retaliatory Iranian strikes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and across the broader Gulf region after Iran was attacked by the US and Israel on February 28. Pictured: Emirates planes parked at Dubai International Airport after it closed, with a plume of smoke in the background from an Iranian strike, on March 1
But in 2011, British businessman Lee Brown died, after five days’ detention, at the same police station the man is being held at.
Holidaymakers, influencers and expats alike have shared pictures of missiles both falling and being intercepted in Dubai throughout the ongoing Middle East conflict.
UAE authorities have warned they could be jailed for posting online about the war, as the country has some of the strictest cybercrime laws in the world.
Under this legislation, any commentary on government policy, security or regional conflict could be seen as a criminal offence.
Officials have warned material harmful to ‘public order’, ‘national unity’ or the country’s reputation could carry a fine of up to ($77,000) £58,000 or jail.
The draconian regulations have seen online content creators tell of exercising caution over what they share in the wake of bombing across the Gulf.
Campaign group Detained in Dubai, which provides assistance with UAE law globally, has confirmed it is assisting the family of the Briton being held in Dubai.
CEO Radha Stirling said despite warnings from authorities not to share pictures or clips of missiles, many people ‘forget or get caught up in everything’.
‘Everyone’s got their phone and their camera out. People are just being a bit negligent,’ she said.
But people do not fully appreciate, she continued, how serious this is – and the fact it can wind them up in jail.
Ms Stirling said officials are cracking down so hard, especially on photos outside government buildings, over concerns foreign citizens are acting as spies for Iran.
Authorities want to prevent intelligence going back to both Iran and Russia, she explained.
And they are trying to stop information about whether missiles have successfully hit Dubai getting back to Tehran, she said.
Ms Stirling added that the UAE does not want these images to cast ‘a dark shadow’ over the country – and perceptions of its safety – in the coming years.
‘They don’t want these images imprinted on people’s brains. It’s PR more than anything,’ she said.
Around 14,000 UK nationals have contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
It comes as questions are raised about whether influencers living in Dubai (pictured, one such content creator) are being told what to say about the ongoing missile strikes over the city
Many have shared images (pictured, an example) of Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while posting the seemingly reassuring words, ‘I know who protects us’
The British government is advising against all but essential travel to the region.
The FCDO and Detained in Dubai have been contacted for comment.
It comes after questions were raised about whether influencers living in Dubai were being told what to say about the ongoing missile strikes over the city.
An army of content creators, with hundreds of thousands of followers between, have posted curiously identical posts on social media about the attacks.
Many have shared images of Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while posting the seemingly reassuring words, ‘I know who protects us’.
At the outbreak of the war, the government cracked down on those reposting genuine footage of the first of the attacks.
These included drones or debris causing damage at the five-star Fairmont Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah and the iconic sail-shaped Dubai hotel Burj Al Arab in flames.
The Dubai Media Office announced within a few hours of the first strikes that ‘outdated images of past fire incidents’ in Dubai were being spread to stoke fear among the city’s residents and garner clicks.
In a new viral TikTok trend, influencers are sharing identical videos and text, leading users online to speculate whether they have been paid by the state.
They typically begin with a shot of the influencer, with the accompanying text, ‘You live in Dubai, aren’t you scared?’, or, ‘Do you feel safe in Dubai?’.
It then cuts to the clip of the UAE leader with the words, ‘No, because I know who protects us’. One such video has been viewed nearly seven million times.
Social media users have been quick to suggest the videos appear as if they have been sponsored by the government as propaganda to make Dubai seem safe.
One person commented, ‘Influencers are doing overtime trying to convince the rest of the world it’s all okay’.
Influencer Bea Albero responded, ‘We are ok, I feel this way’.