British holidaymaker, 60, arrested in Dubai for 'filming missiles'
The man remains in police custody and is being assisted by the campaign group Detained in Dubai
A British national holidaying in Dubai has reportedly been arrested for filming Iranian missiles.
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The 60-year-old man was taken into custody on Monday and is currently being detained at a police station in the Bur Dubai area.
It is understood that the man was seen allegedly filming missiles at the time of his arrest.
It is not known if footage was shared on social media, but UAE officials have warned tourists and residents that they could face prison for posting material about the Middle East conflict.
Read more: ‘I know who protects us’: Dubai influencers share near-identical videos with footage of Crown Prince
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If charged under the state's strict cybercrime laws, the man could face two years in prison or a fine. If the accusations relate to national security, he could face a longer jail term.
The man has so far not been charged.
Radha Stirling, the chief executive of campaign group Detained in Dubai, confirmed she was assisting the man's family on Tuesday.
Ms Stirling told The Telegraph: "Authorities have given these warnings, but when you’re there and everyone else seems to be sharing these photos, a lot of people are just going to forget or get caught up in everything.
"Everyone’s got their phone and their camera out. People are just being a bit negligent. They don’t understand that it’s very serious, that they could go to prison there."
Ms Stirling saidthat police and other authorities are taking a "hypersensitive" approach surrounding foreign citizens taking photographs outside government buildings amid concerns that they could be "Iranian spies."
She added: "They don’t want these photos hanging around, casting a dark shadow over Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the next five years, ten years as people look at these and think oh it's really not safe.
"They don’t want these images imprinted on people’s brains. It’s PR more than anything."
About 14,000 Britons have contacted the Foreign Office about leaving the Middle East.
Since the war broke out at the end of last month, influencers across the UAE have taken to social media to share near-identical videos featuring the crown prince of Dubai.
Officials in the Gulf nation have also sought to gain an upper hand in the information war by utilising its influencers to brand Dubai the "safest place on earth."