More than 1,000 people have been arrested across Gulf states for sharing information or opinions related to the Iran-US-Israeli war, in what Amnesty International has described as a “widespread crackdown” on freedom of expression.
Issued on: 02/06/2026 - 08:34Modified: 02/06/2026 - 08:45
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In a statement released on Monday, the human rights organisation accused members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman — of “indiscriminately criminalising the exchange of information” under the pretext of national security. Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the arrests reflect an entrenched pattern of repression. “These governments are exploiting the escalation in regional tensions to intensify their already suffocating grip on freedom of expression, in order to protect their pristine image as safe havens,” she said. According to Amnesty’s findings, the UAE and Qatar account for the majority of cases, with more than 700 of the documented arrests. Dubai’s thriving global financial hub faces wartime stress test Authorities in Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar issued official statements announcing their arrests of hundreds of people for filming and sharing videos about the interception of missiles or projectile damage. In several cases, arrests were made for “glorifying” a hostile state and its military leadership, which appears to refer to expressing sympathy with Iran. Between 3 March and 8 April, UAE authorities detained at least 375 people – including dozens of British nationals – for allegedly publishing or sharing videos and other visual content related to the Middle East conflict. In Qatar, 313 individuals of various nationalities were arrested between 28 February and 9 March for disseminating what authorities described as “misleading information” or rumours.
