As part of ongoing efforts to monitor and address misleading information and fabricated content circulated on digital platforms that aim to create chaos and undermine public safety and national security, the Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi has ordered the arrest of another group consisting of 25 individuals of various nationalities. They have been referred for urgent prosecution after being found guilty of disseminating digital content that misleads the public and threatens security and stability.
Investigation and digital surveillance revealed that the accused were divided into three groups, each committing different acts: sharing genuine footage related to ongoing events, fabricating videos using artificial intelligence techniques, and promoting a country engaged in military aggression while glorifying its leadership and military actions.
Group One: Sharing genuine footage of attacks and their aftermath.
Several defendants were found to have shared authentic visual recordings documenting the trajectory and interception of missiles in the country’s airspace, along with the impacts of their landing. They filmed gatherings of individuals observing these events and added commentary and sound effects suggesting attacks, causing anxiety and panic within the community. The distribution of these clips may also provide hostile accounts with material to promote misleading narratives regarding the country’s security conditions and could inadvertently reveal some defensive capabilities and strategies.
Group Two: Disseminating fabricated videos using AI technology.
Authorities noted that some of the accused had shared manipulated videos created through artificial intelligence, or had re-shared footage of events occurring outside the country while claiming they took place domestically. These included staged scenes of explosions, fires, smoke rising, and missiles in flight or landing in areas within the state, accompanied by names of various emirates or national flags, as well as specific dates and times to lend credibility to these false claims. Such actions mislead the public and instill fear and panic.
Group Three: Promoting a hostile state and glorifying its leadership and military operations.
The investigations uncovered that several individuals published content that praised an adversarial nation and its political and military leaders, promoting its military actions in the region through videos and images commending such leaders or calling for solidarity. Additionally, they circulated content depicting missile attacks as military achievements, along with re-distributing propaganda materials that align with the hostile narrative and undermine national interests.
The Public Prosecution has initiated investigations into the allegations against the suspects and ordered their detention pending further inquiries.
The Attorney General emphasized that these actions represent a severe violation of legal statutes warranting necessary punitive measures against the perpetrators due to the public deception and societal disruption they cause.
He reaffirmed that exploiting the digital realm to disseminate misleading content or videos that may harm public security or compromise the state’s defensive capabilities—especially in light of the military aggressions faced by the nation—constitutes a criminal act that will be met with stringent legal actions. Moreover, he assured that anyone found involved in such acts would be brought to justice to receive the appropriate legal sanctions corresponding to their actions, characterized by distortions and exaggerations without regard for the state’s circumstances or security needs.
