UAE cracks down on 'misleading' posts amid Iran war, 19 Indians arrested

NIneteen Indians were among the 35 people arrested by authorities in the United arabian Emirates for posting picture clips on societal media that allegedly contained “misleading and fancied contents” during heightened tensions in West Asia caused by the ongoing war between the United States, backed by Israel, and Iran.Notably, authorities had issued repeated warnings to residents earlier, asking them not to film attack sites, share footage of interceptions, or circulate unverified information online. Follow Dubai-UAE news live updates here.ALSO READ | Amid Strait of Hormuz tensions, why UAE's Fujairah port is key to oil trade 19 Indians arrested in UAEOn March 15, UAE attorney-general Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered the arrest of 25 people from different nationalities and directed that they face a fast-tracked trial.The latest list names 25 individuals of different nationalities, including 17 Indians, under various charges. This group is separate from the 10 people, including two Indians, who were identified and ordered to be arrested on Saturday.A statement issued by Shamsi said the action followed strict monitoring of digital platforms aimed at stopping the spread of fabricated information and artificial content intended to provoke public disorder and undermine overall stability."Investigations and electronic monitoring revealed that the defendants were divided into three groups that committed various acts. These included the publication of real clips related to current events, the fabrication of clips using AI, and the promotion of a state practising acts of military aggression while glorifying its leadership and military actions," it said.3 categories of violationsFirst: Clips of missiles passing through the airspaceThe first group of 10 accused allegedly shared and circulated genuine video clips showing missiles passing through the country's airspace or being intercepted, as well as the damage caused, the statement said, according to the UAE official news agency Wam.They also recorded gatherings of people watching these incidents and added commentary and sound effects that suggested active attacks, which could trigger fear and panic among the public, it added.This group included five Indians, one Pakistani, one Nepali, two Filipinos and one Egyptian.Second: ‘Fabricated’ material generated by AIThe second group shared fabricated visual material generated by artificial intelligence or reposted footage of incidents outside the country, while falsely claiming they had occurred within it. The clips showed artificial scenes of explosions and missiles, often displaying national flags or particular dates to make the claims appear credible and mislead viewers, it said.This group had seven individuals, including five Indians and one each from Nepal and Bangladesh.Third: Praising ‘hostile’ state The third group of six accused shared posts praising a hostile state and its political and military leadership, portraying its regional military actions as achievements. The statement said this involved praising leaders of that state and reposting propaganda that supports hostile media narratives and harms national interests.In this group, five of the six accused are Indians and one is Pakistani.ALSO READ | Expert flags Trump's Strait of Hormuz ‘blunder’ as Iran says ‘ready for long war’Accused could face imprisonment and a fineTwo more individuals, both Indians, have also been charged for similar offences, the statement said.Shamsi said that such actions are crimes under the law and can lead to imprisonment for at least one year and a fine of no less than AED 1,00,000, the report said."Such events have been exploited to disseminate misinformation intended to deliberately mislead the public while undermining national security, order and stability," he said.He said the public prosecution has begun questioning the 10 defendants and ordered that they remain in custody.With inputs from agencies