Three people were being held by authorities in Dubai for sharing images of a drone strike on their apartment constructing.
They were arrested after the Iranian projectiles hit Creek Harbour causing significant damage on Thursday, in line with motion group Detained in Dubai.
CEO Radha Stirling said these arrests were all of the more shocking because the photographs weren’t shared publicly.
She said: ‘Foreign residents often assume that sending a photograph privately to relations is harmless.
‘Within the UAE, even a private unshared photograph related to sensitive events can trigger a criminal investigation.’
The UAE has been cracking down on people taking photos of the damage from Iranian strikes to guard the state’s status for security.
Dubai police warned that sharing ‘rumours, false information, or any content that condradicts official announcements’ is strictly prohibited.
‘Violators may face criminal penalties, including imprisonment and fines of at least £41,000.
‘It might seem to be just a photograph… But to some, it’s information. Don’t photograph or share security or critical sites.’
The federal government has been monitoring social media to delete images that don’t fit that narrative.
Stirling added: ‘When people experience something as shocking as a drone strike hitting their constructing, their first instict is to contact their families and allow them to know they’re secure.
‘Criminalising that human respone risks punishing victims relatively than protecting them.’
Early today, an Iranian drone strike hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport, grounding flights on the busy airport to a halt.
Dubai International is the busiest airport within the Middle East and the busiest on the earth for international passenger traffic.
Last 12 months, 95.2 million people passed through the hub, and numbers were predicted to approach 100 million in 2026.
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