Law enforcement authorities in Abu Dhabi have arrested 45 people for filming various sites and locations related to the military conflict with Iran and publishing the videos on social media, Khaleej Times reports.
They were accused of spreading “inaccurate and misleading information“ that could provoke public opinion and spread rumors.
The authorities stressed that such actions violate the law and could negatively affect public safety and ongoing law enforcement operations, and urged people to rely only on official sources of information.
Earlier, The Telegraph reported that 21 people were detained in Dubai, accused of “using the Internet or other technical tools to spread fake news, rumours or provocative propaganda“ for videos related to Iran's strikes on the UAE.
One of them, a 60-year-old tourist from London, filmed Iranian missiles flying over the city. He said he had no intention of breaking the law and deleted the video from his phone at the request of the authorities. It is not known whether he posted it online.
The Financial Times also reported the arrest of several other foreigners for filming drone strikes the previous day.
Radha Stirling of “Detained in Dubai“, explained that under UAE law, charges can be brought against both the original source and anyone who interacted with them – by re-sharing, posting or commenting.
The penalty for such an offence in the UAE is up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 dirhams ($54,500), or both. Foreigners convicted of this offence are subject to deportation.
UAE authorities have warned that posting images and videos of crime scenes or footage of impact damage or debris in certain areas could lead to imprisonment. According to “Detained in Dubai“, more than 200 people have already been prosecuted under similar laws in Qatar.