A European tourist has been arrested in Dubai for posting a picture of a hotel on fire.
The father of three, who shared a photograph of the world famous Fairmont The Palm hotel in the aftermath of an Iranian drone attack, was detained on March 9.
He had been staying at a hotel with his girlfriend, where he was arrested.
Authorities said he would be taken to Al Qusais police for one or two hours and returned but he has not been seen since.
Under its draconian and often unknown cybersecurity laws, the emirate’s rulers have detained dozens of people for sharing footage of Iran‘s attacks in a desperate attempt to preserve the city’s supposed care-free image.
In the latest crackdown, the tourist is being left at the ‘mercy’ of state security who are holding him without access to a lawyer, the embassy or his phone, according to Radha Stirling from human rights group Detained in Dubai.
He is being forced to sleep on the floor and fed only rice, the group added.
The tourist told family he deeply regretted posting the footage and he has apologised to the United Arab Emirates even though it took place before warnings were issued.
The Palm Jumeirah Fairmont hotel was hit by a Shahed suicide drone launched from Iran hours after US and Israeli air strikes hit Tehran
A tourist and his father have been arrested in Dubai for posting war videos before the population was ordered to keep them off social media. Pictured: Creek Harbour hotel in Dubai following an Iranian drone strike
Ms Stirling said: ‘This is a deeply disproportionate response to conduct that involved posting a publicly visible incident that had already been widely reported.
‘It raises serious concerns about due process and the treatment of foreign nationals, especially tourists who weren’t even aware of the UAE’s cybercrime laws.’
It comes after three foreign survivors of a drone strike on a building in the city were arrested after sending photographs of the explosion to their loved ones.
They took photos of their apartments in Creek Harbour after a large explosion before sending them privately to family members to reassure them of their safety.
They were later arrested by police after officers requested to see their phones.
Ms Stirling said: ‘Three traumatised survivors of an Iran drone strike were arrested after privately sharing a photo with loved ones confirming they were alive following an explosion on their apartment floor. Instead of receiving victim support, they were locked up by Dubai police.’
Last week a 60-year-old British man was one of 21 people charged under cyber-crime laws in connection with videos and social media posts relating to the recent missile strikes.
The Londoner is accused of ‘broadcasting, publishing, republishing or circulating rumours or provocative propaganda that could disturb public security’.
Residents have been warned against posting pictures or videos of damage. Pictured: An Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport, sparking a massive fire
The man said he deleted the video from his phone when asked and had no intention of doing anything wrong.
The group – who are of a range of different nationalities – face an expedited trial for ‘publishing misleading content on digital platforms’ as the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate.
Penalties can include up to two years in prison.
Over the weekend, UAE police released mugshots of 25 people arrested for sharing ‘war footage’ in the country.
The arrests are part of a brutal crackdown on free speech in the emirate, with Dubai officials telling people the ‘big booms’ in the sky are ‘the sound of us being safe’ as the UAE air defence system takes action.
Dubai’s government heavily polices social media and responded to the outbreak of war by threatening jail against anyone sharing information that ‘results in inciting panic among people’.
Videos of drone and missile strikes were regularly shared on social media in the early days of the conflict, but these have largely disappeared and been replaced by a deluge of posts praising Dubai’s government.
In a post on Instagram, the British embassy said the UAE authorities have issued ‘several warnings’ regarding the photographing, publishing or sharing of images and videos ‘documenting incident sites or damage resulting from the fall of projectiles or shrapnel’.
The post continued: ‘Under UAE law, ‘sharing’ can include posting on social media platforms as well as sending or forwarding content via messaging applications.
On Thursday morning a high-rise building in Creek Harbour, Dubai, was pictured with a large hole after a drone strike
‘UAE law also restricts the photographing of certain sites, including government buildings and diplomatic missions.’
Dubai has been targeted by thousands Iranian missiles and drones since the outbreak of the war.
On Monday, an Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport, sparking a massive fire.
Flights were diverted and roads to the airport were closed as a pall of black smoke could be seen from several miles away.
After the fire on Monday, authorities quickly took to social media to reassure the public that the attack caused ‘minimal damage’ and no injuries, referring to the fire as a ‘drone-related incident’.
The airport has been targeted several times before in the barrage of missiles and drones from Iran, but this incident is the first time the Dubai government admitted that a drone caused the damage, rather than debris from an interception.
The UAE said it had been thoroughly monitoring social media platforms in recent days in a bid to prevent the dissemination of ‘fabricated information and artificial content intended to incite public disorder and undermine general stability’.
It emerged on Saturday that up to 100 people had been arrested by police in the UAE for filming drone or missile strikes.
Abu Dhabi Police alone have arrested 45 people of multiple nationalities for filming various locations amid current ongoing events and posting clips on social media.
Mugshots of 25 people arrested for sharing ‘war footage’ in the UAE, with the first group, pictured, said to have ‘published and circulated authentic video clips’ of missile interceptions
The second group was arrested for publishing footage of attacks that were either AI-generated or occurred outside the UAE
And a third group of defendants is made up of people who published material ‘glorifying a hostile state’
In a statement posted on social media on Saturday, Dubai Police said: ‘Sharing rumours, false information, or any content that contradicts official announcements or that may cause public panic or threaten public safety, order, or health is prohibited.
‘Violators may face criminal penalties, including imprisonment and fines of no less than Dh200,000, [£41,000].’
The police also warned against taking photos of critical sites.
‘It may seem like just a photo… But to some, it’s information. Do not photograph or share security or critical sites. Protecting them is a national responsibility that helps keep our community safe and secure,’ the force said.
