The Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Monday that it is providing legal assistance to two Filipino nationals arrested for posting or sharing online content related to recent attacks and air defense interceptions in Dubai.
In a statement, the embassy confirmed that the two arrested individuals are both overseas Filipino workers in the UAE.
“The embassy has been in communication with the families of the affected OFWs to provide timely updates and support,” the statement read.
“Legal assistance is being extended to the arrested individuals through the embassy’s retained legal counsel,” it added.
The embassy also said a request for a consular visit to the arrested nationals has been submitted to UAE authorities for approval.
“In view of the ongoing investigation and at the request of the families, the embassy is withholding specific information regarding the identities and other details of the cases,” the embassy said.
It also vowed to provide all necessary legal and consular support to the affected Filipino nationals.
Earlier, a local news outlet reported that authorities had arrested 10 people of various nationalities for allegedly distributing misleading and fabricated footage of intercepted attacks and landmark strikes on social media.
The report said those arrested include an Egyptian, a Filipino, a Vietnamese, a Pakistani, an Iranian, a Bangladeshi, a Cameroonian, a Nepalese, and two Indians.
Under UAE law, such acts are considered crimes and can result in imprisonment of at least one year and a fine of no less than Dh100,000 for deliberately spreading misinformation, threatening public security, spreading fear, and undermining social stability.
