Abu Dhabi – As many as 70 Britons have been locked up in the United Arab Emirates for taking photos and videos of drone and missile attacks, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Tourists, expats and cabin crew have been detained in overcrowded police cells and prisons – and in some cases denied sleep, food and medicine – as they fall foul of draconian laws that purport to protect ‘national security and stability’.
However, oil-rich city-States such as Dubai have been accused of a heavy-handed clampdown that aims to protect their ‘carefully constructed brand’ as safe and glamorous travel destinations. Even passively receiving an image is deemed illegal under the severest laws, which can carry a sentence of ten years in prison or fines of up to £200 000.
The shocking number of British nationals arrested comes from two UK-based campaign groups working with Emirati lawyers.
So many people are being held that the legal system is swamped, meaning those arrested face months in detention before being charged, according to human rights group Dubai Watch.
Some of those arrested have been released on bail, but have had their passports confiscated so they cannot leave the Emirates. If they are expats whose work visas expire in the meantime, they will not be able to work and face homelessness, campaigners say.
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