Abu Dhabi: Nineteen Indians were among 35 people arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for publishing video clips on social media platforms that contained ‘misleading and fabricated content’ amid tensions in the Gulf nation, triggered by the ongoing Iran-US-Israel war.
A list published on Sunday, names 25 individuals of various nationalities, among them 17 Indians, who have been booked under different sections. This is separate from the 10 people – including two Indians – who were named and ordered to be arrested on Saturday, as reported by PTI.
The accused have been referred for an expedited trial, the UAE’s official news agency Wam said.
The first group of 10 accused had published and circulated authentic video clips showing the movement and interception of missiles in the country’s airspace, as well as the impact of strikes, authorities said.
There were five Indians, a Pakistani, one Nepali, two Filipinos, and one Egyptian in this group.
These people also filmed groups of people watching these events and added commentary and sound effects that suggested ongoing attacks. Officials said such acts could incite public anxiety and panic.
The second group has been accused of publishing fabricated visual content created through AI or recirculated footage of incidents from outside the country while falsely claiming they occurred within it.
These clips contained synthetic scenes of explosions and missiles, often featuring national flags or specific dates to grant credibility to false claims and mislead the public, a statement released by attorney-general Dr Hamad Saif Al Shams, said.
There are seven individuals in this group, including five Indians, one Nepalese, and a Bangladeshi, as reported by Mint.
Authorities said that the third group of six accused published content glorifying a hostile state and its political and military leadership, promoting its regional military aggressions as achievements.
“This involved praising leaders of that state and recirculating propaganda that serves hostile media discourse and harms national interests,” the AG’s statement added.
Five of the six accused in this group are Indians and one is a Pakistani.
These arrests came even as the Middle East Crisis entered its 16th day on Sunday. Explosions were reported across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, among other Gulf cities after Iran launched retaliatory strikes in response to Israel, US’ joint attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Iran has also called for the evacuation of three major ports in the UAE, accusing the United States of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in that country to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports.
