A TOURIST is being held in a hellhole Dubai jail for posting a war video before the government banned them from social media.
The father-of-three, who is believed to be a European national, is reportedly being held in an overcrowded cell, forced to sleep on the floor with only rice to eat.
He was arrested at his hotel on March 9 and told he would be taken to Al Qusais police station for one or two hours, according to human rights group Detained in Dubai.
But his family have not seen him since.
It comes after the man posted an image of the Fairmont Palm hotel – in Dubai’s plush Palm Jumeirah area – after it was struck by a projectile on February 28.
It comes as…
He captioned the post: “Dubai today”.
Images of the buildings entrance ablaze were widely circulated by international media after the Iranian airstrike.
Despite the coverage, the tourist was hauled away by state security.
He is being held without access to a lawyer, the embassy or his phone, according to Radha Stirling, head of Detained in Dubai.
She told The Sun: “This is a deeply disproportionate response to conduct that involved a publicly visible incident that had already been widely reported.
“It raises serious concerns about due process and the treatment of foreign nationals, especially tourists who weren’t even aware of cybercrime laws.”
UAE authorities launched a brutal crackdown on locals filming and sharing videos or pictures of Iranian attacks on the country.
The UAE’s cryptic cyber-crime laws
The UAE’s cyber-crime laws are among the strictest in the world.
People can face fines of up to £57,000, lengthy detention, and travel bans for social media posts that authorities consider harmful to “public order”, “national unity” or the reputation of the state.
Detained in Dubai warns that the legislation is “deliberately broad” – and in times of war they become even more dangerous.
Almost anything critical of government policy or regional conflict can be interpreted as a crime.
In practice, commentary about regional conflict, government policy or security matters can be interpreted as a criminal offence.
Sharing advice about what to do and what not to do in the country, the organisation said: “Do not assume your home country’s free speech protections apply in the UAE. They do not.
“Do not assume that sharing international news coverage is safe. It may not be.
“Do not assume that deleting a post removes liability. It often does not.”
Official warnings about the crackdown were first issued on March 8, more than a week after the tourist posted the image.
Over the weekend, UAE police released mugshots of 25 people arrested for sharing ‘war footage’ in the country.
If found guilty, they could face up to two years in prison, or fines ranging from £4,000 to £40,600, or both.
Foreign nationals will also be hit with enforced deportations.
A British tourist is also among 21 people charged under cybercrime laws after allegedly filming Iranian missiles causing carnage in Dubai.
The Londoner is accused of “broadcasting, publishing, republishing or circulating rumours or provocative propaganda that could disturb public security”.
The 60-year-old was arrested despite assuring police he’d deleted the footage from his phone.
Three survivors of a drone attack on a Dubai skyscraper were also arrested for privately sharing pictures of the blitz with their loved ones, reports say.
The trio reportedly took photos in the aftermath of the explosion near Dubai Creek Harbour to show relatives what had happened and assure them that they were safe.
For years, Dubai has cultivated a reputation as a glamorous and attractive destination – and more than 250,000 British nationals have made it their home in recent years.
But many have fled amid the onslaught of Iranian drones and rockets in the past three weeks.
Radha said: “Those arrested under Cybercrime Laws, whether national security or not, are being held in overcrowded conditions.
“They are not being given access to medication or even their embassies.
“At a time when Iran’s actions are creating instability, the UAE should be reassuring visitors not arresting them.”
Criminalising tourists and residents over social media posts will “undermine” confidence that Dubai is a safe destination, she added.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office have been approached for comment.
