A British national, who is a flight attendant, was arrested in the UAE after posting a photo of a drone strike at Dubai airport in a private WhatsApp group. The UAE had issued strict guidelines after the country started receiving attacks from neighbouring Iran, asking residents to adhere to cybercrime laws, warning citizens and visitors that photographing, filming, publishing or circulating images and videos of incident sites could lead to a minimum of one year in prison and fines starting at £20,000.
The 25-year-old airline crew member, according to a Daily Mail report, had forwarded the video of the projectile strike in the WhatsApp group out of fear, to ask if it was safe to walk through the airport. The report said the British man has been held in a crowded, unhygienic jail cell for more than 20 days since his arrest on March 7, the day the airport first came under attack. The number of people detained by police for similar offences since the war began could be as high as 160.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, told the media outlet that two other British nationals are also being held for similar offences, which could be treated as federal crimes against ‘national security’, carrying much harsher sentences. The report added that the British national could face up to two years in jail in the UAE and a £40,000 fine.
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Legal battles hard to fight when matter related to national security in UAE
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | 5 Indians among 12 injured in Abu Dhabi after falling debris hits Ajban area
Legal battles hard to fight when matter related to national security in UAE
{{/usCountry}}Legal battles are tough to fight for citizens when it comes to matters related to national security in the UAE as lawyers in the country refuse to get involved, said Radha.
"...people are really struggling to get legal representation, and the lawyers that are willing to take it on are charging extortionate amounts, three, four times their usual rates," Radha was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
A total of 10 civilians have lost their lives in the UAE in attacks from Iran, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Defence. The victims were of Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Palestinian, Indian and Egyptian nationalities. Additionally, 217 people have been injured in the attacks.
Since the war began, the UAE has been facing daily missile and drone attacks launched from Iran. So far, the UAE’s air defence systems have intercepted 507 ballistic missiles, 24 cruise missiles and 2,191 drones.