About 70 British nationals have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for filming or sharing images of Iranian missile and drone attacks, the British tabloid Daily Mail reported Sunday.
According to the report, those detained include tourists, foreign residents and airline crew members. Some were held in crowded police cells and prisons, with claims that in certain cases detainees were denied sleep, food and medication.
UAE law prohibits photographing or publishing images that could “undermine public security.” During Iranian attacks, people in affected areas receive text messages in Arabic and English warning that filming or sharing images of sensitive sites or unverified information could lead to legal action.
Reports said police have approached individuals near attack sites and demanded to inspect their phones, arresting those found with relevant images. Authorities have also reportedly detained individuals who received such content via messaging apps, even if they did not actively share it.
The Daily Mail described the laws as “draconian,” with penalties that can include up to 10 years in prison or fines of up to 200,000 pounds ($250,000).
The report cited two British organizations working with lawyers in the UAE. One of them, Dubai Watch, which represents eight of the detainees, said the legal system has become overwhelmed, with some suspects held for months before being formally charged.
The group said some detainees have been released on bail but had their passports confiscated, preventing them from leaving the country. Foreign workers whose visas expire during detention may also lose their jobs and housing, it said.
Dubai Watch said at least 35 Britons have been detained in Dubai since the start of the war, with a similar number detained in Abu Dhabi.
Radha Stirling of the advocacy group Detained in Dubai said British citizens were being held in harsh conditions and pressured to sign confessions without legal representation.
“These are not criminals, but ordinary tourists, workers and residents who acted without malicious intent,” she said, calling for urgent diplomatic intervention.
Among those detained, the report said, is a flight attendant based in London who works for low-cost carrier FlyDubai. He allegedly photographed damage caused by an Iranian drone crash near Dubai’s airport on March 7 and shared the image with colleagues before being detained.
A British lawyer living in Dubai was also reportedly detained, along with a 60-year-old tourist accused alongside about 20 others after footage of Iranian missiles over Dubai was found on their phones. Despite deleting the material, the tourist faces up to two years in prison and a fine.
The UAE Embassy in London said in response that individuals had been warned against filming or sharing images from “incident scenes,” adding that distributing such material or inaccurate information could cause public panic and misrepresent the situation in the country.