UAE arrests 25 individuals for spreading false and harmful online narratives
- Last updated: March 15, 2026 | 03:36 ..
UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has ordered the arrest of a further group of 25 individuals of various nationalities. The accused have been referred for an expedited trial for publishing misleading content on digital platforms that harms national defence measures and glorifies acts of military aggression against the State.
The move follows rigorous monitoring of digital platforms to combat the spread of fabricated information and artificial content intended to incite public disorder and undermine general 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 artificial intelligence techniques, and the promotion of a state practicing acts of military aggression while glorifying its leadership and military actions:
-First Group: Published and circulated authentic video clips documenting the passage and interception of missile aggressions in the State’s airspace or the resulting impact. They also filmed gatherings of individuals monitoring these events, appending commentary and sound effects suggesting active aggressions to incite public anxiety and panic. Such footage risks exposing defensive capabilities and allows hostile accounts to promote misleading narratives.
-Second Group: Published fabricated visual content created through artificial intelligence or recirculated footage of incidents from outside the State 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.
-Third Group: 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 Public Prosecution has commenced investigations into the charges filed against the defendants and ordered their preventive detention pending further inquiries.
The Attorney General emphasised that these actions constitute a grave violation of the law and necessitate the enforcement of required penal measures against those responsible. He noted that such activities mislead public opinion and incite social unrest.
Furthermore, the Attorney General affirmed that exploiting cyberspace to disseminate or circulate misleading content and footage that harms public security or compromises the State’s defencive capabilities is a criminal offence. He highlighted that this is particularly critical given the military aggression currently faced by the State, and such behaviour will be met with firm legal action.
He concluded by stressing that any individual proven to be involved in these acts will be referred to the judiciary to receive the prescribed legal penalty. This serves as a just consequence for actions involving the deception and exaggeration of facts without regard for the country's circumstances or its security requirements.
WAM