As many as 70 British nationals have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for taking or sharing photos and videos of drone and missile attacks, according to campaign groups. The arrests include holidaymakers, expats and airline crew, with some held in cramped conditions and denied food, medication and sleep.
Critics say the oil-rich emirates, including Dubai, are enforcing a heavy-handed crackdown to protect their image as safe tourist destinations. Under strict laws, even receiving an image can be a crime, carrying penalties of up to ten years in prison or fines of £200,000.
Campaign group Dubai Watch says local lawyers believe at least 35 Britons have been detained in Dubai and a similar number in Abu Dhabi. Some detainees have been forced to sign statements in Arabic they could not understand, while access for British consular officials is reportedly restricted or denied.
Among those caught up in the crackdown is a London-based air steward who took a photo of damage after an Iranian drone crashed near Dubai airport and shared it with colleagues. A British lawyer living in Dubai has also been detained, and a 60-year-old tourist faces up to two years in jail after footage of Iranian missiles was found on his device.
Radha Stirling of the Detained In Dubai group said: “British citizens are being held in overcrowded conditions, denied medication, and pressured to sign confessions without legal representation. This is a serious failure of protection.” She called for immediate diplomatic intervention.
The Foreign Office is not automatically informed of every case, and some detainees have been warned against contacting the British Embassy. Officials believe just five Britons are currently receiving consular support over the allegations.
