Three foreign survivors of a drone strike on a building in Dubai have reportedly been arrested after they sent photographs of the explosion to their loved ones.
The individuals were inside their Creek Harbour apartments when a drone struck on Wednesday evening, causing a big explosion.
In the aftermath, they took photos which they then sent privately to family members to reassure them of their safety.
They were later arrested by police after officers requested to see their phones, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai.
The CEO of the group Radha Stirling wrote on X: ‘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.’
Stirling said that authorities should take a compassionate approach towards people who reacted instinctively during the terrifying moment, and warned this risked punishing victims rather than those acting maliciously.
The arrests are part of a desperate public relations campaign, 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.
It comes as an Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport on Monday, sparking a massive fire.
Flights were diverted and roads to the airport closed as a pall of black smoke could be seen from several miles away.
Authorities quickly took to social media to reassure the public that the attack caused ‘minimal damage’ and no injuries.
‘The Emirate’s Civil Defence teams immediately began dealing with the incident and are continuing their efforts to control it,’ wrote the Fujairah Media Office on X.
The airport has been targeted several times before in the barrage of missiles and drones from Iran, but today’s incident is the first time the Dubai government admitted that a drone caused the damage, rather than debris from an interception.
Over the weekend, United Arab Emirates police released mugshots of 25 people arrested for sharing ‘war footage’ in the country.
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.
The government in the UAE 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.
And officials are going to great lengths to clamp down on certain videos of the conflict being published online.
The latest perpetrators have been divided into three groups, with the first said to have ‘published and circulated authentic video clips’ of missile interceptions.
The footage aimed to ‘incite public anxiety and panic’, according to a statement from Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, and risked ‘exposing defensive capabilities’ and allowing accounts to ‘promote misleading narratives’.
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’ – an act which the Attorney-General said ‘serves hostile media discourse and harms national interests’.
The 25 suspects are currently detained amid an ongoing Public Prosecution investigation in the UAE.
The publishing of such content was described by the Attorney-General as a ‘grave violation of the law’, promising ‘firm legal action’ against the group.
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.
In neighbouring Dubai, at least 21 people, including a 60-year-old British tourist, have been detained.
The detainees are accused of sharing inaccurate and misleading information.
Authorities warned that such actions could ‘provoke public opinion and spread rumours’.
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.
The British tourist, who was detained on Monday, had travelled to the UAE for a holiday and was allegedly spotted filming missiles during the dramatic attacks.
He stopped filming when challenged by police, but was still arrested and charged and is reportedly being held at Bur Dubai Police station. He faces up to two years in prison.
He is accused of ‘broadcasting, publishing, republishing or circulating rumours or provocative propaganda that could disturb public security’, campaign group Detained in Dubai said.
Stirling, the group’s chief executive, said the man had said that he deleted the video from his phone when asked and had no intention of doing anything wrong.
She said: ‘The charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online.’
Stirling added: ‘Under UAE cybercrime laws, the person who originally posts content can be charged, but so can anyone who reshapes, reposts or comments on it. One video can quickly lead to dozens of people facing criminal charges.’
The British Embassy in the UAE on Friday posted on X: ‘UAE authorities warn against photographing, posting, or sharing images of incident sites or projectile damage as well as government buildings and diplomatic missions.
‘British nationals are subject to UAE laws, violations may lead to fines, imprisonment, or deportation.’
The Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with local authorities after a British man was detained in the UAE.
In a post on Instagram, the embassy added that 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.
‘UAE law also restricts the photographing of certain sites, including government buildings and diplomatic missions.’
Meanwhile, Dubai’s influencer army has released a barrage of posts praising its government – amid claims some are being paid to pump out ‘propaganda’.
Content creators with hundreds of thousands of followers between them have responded to Iranian attacks by sharing images of Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum alongside the words, ‘I know who protects us’.
The posts begin by asking ‘are you scared?’ before flashing up images of Al Maktoum waving to adoring crowds.
Sceptical social media users have responded by claiming the influencers are being paid by the UAE government, although several have spoken out to deny this.
