A British man has been charged under cybercrime laws in Dubai after allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city.
The tourist was detained under a law in the United Arab Emirates that prohibits publishing or sharing material that could disturb public security, according to Detained in Dubai, an organisation that provides legal assistance to individuals in the UAE.
Foreign Office officials are understood to be supporting his family.
Radha Stirling, Detained in Dubai CEO, said the man from London was charged along with 20 other people after police found a video of an Iranian missile strike in Dubai on his phone.
She told the BBC the formal charges were “very vague”.
“I’ve reviewed the charge sheet, and from reading it, you wouldn’t know what they’ve done wrong,” she said.
“We’re seeing more and more people being charged under the UAE’s cybercrime rules.”
She added that the family of the British man had been able to speak to him following his detainment.
Stirling told the BBC that she believed the UAE had detained people for filming missiles as they “want to maintain the facade that it is safe for tourists”. Criticism of the government is illegal in the UAE.
UK-based human rights group Amnesty International said the UAE had “continued to criminalise the right to freedom of expression through multiple laws and to punish actual or perceived critics of the government”.
For years, Dubai has cultivated a reputation as a glamorous and attractive destination for expats pursuing business opportunities and travel.
Conflict across the Middle East has entered a second week after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader on 28 February.
Iran has continued to respond by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, which have extended to non-military targets, including civilian sites and energy facilities.
Some of the UAE’s most iconic buildings have been damaged – including Fairmont The Palm hotel, in the luxurious Palm Jumeirah area, and the Burj Al Arab hotel.
Flights across the Middle East have also been severely disrupted by the conflict.
