Global Affairs Canada is warning Canadians in the Middle East to refrain from documenting military activity as war engulfs the region.
In a post on X Tuesday, the government warned that “taking, sharing or possessing” photos or videos of military activity or damage “could lead to fines, imprisonment or deportation.” The post specifically mentions Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates.
This comes after dozens of foreigners were arrested for sharing videos in Gulf states that are facing strikes from Iranian drones and missiles as part of the U.S-Israeli war in Iran.
Legal group Detained in Dubai said last week that 21 people were charged under UAE’s cybercrime laws, including a 60-year-old British man in Dubai.
The group’s CEO Radha Stirling said in a statement that the man deleted the video from his phone immediately when asked and had no intention of breaking the law, but is still facing charges that could lead to two years in prison, heavy fines and deportation.
Stirling said under UAE cybercrime laws, not only can the person who makes the post be charged, but so can anyone who reposts or comments on it.
How military censorship is changing the view of the Middle East war
“In times of regional tension, authorities can become hypersensitive, and innocent mistakes can quickly escalate into extremely serious and dangerous situations for foreigners,” she said.
Stirling said foreigners can find themselves treated as “national security suspects” for what may seem like normal social media behaviour elsewhere, and could be detained in facilities “known for human rights abuses and torture.”
Countries in the region have strict military censorship rules, aimed largely at preventing the release of information that could help enemy combatants.
In Qatar, the interior ministry said last week that police had arrested more than 300 people for sharing images and “misleading information” about Iranian attacks, according to Pakistani news outlet Dawn and other media in the region.
Multiple news outlets reported that six Asian nationals were arrested in Bahrain last week, and are now facing charges of filming, publishing and reposting videos related to Iranian missile strikes, after four were arrested a week earlier for posting impacted missile sites.
In Kuwait, it’s been reported that people have been arrested for posting social media videos mocking the government and for using drones to film air strikes.
Global Affairs is advising Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to Oman and Saudi Arabia, and avoid all travel to the other four countries mentioned in the advisory.
Other countries in the region also have restrictions on broadcasting military activity, and Iran has warned social media users they could be charged under the country’s espionage law for sharing images showing the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
