Scott Richards, a UAE resident who holds British and Australian nationalities, has been arrested in Dubai for promoting a non-UAE charity.
Prior to his arrest, Richards had been in Afghanistan "coordinating the logistics of distributing UN-standard tarpaulins" to refugees with the American charity Zwan Family Charity .
Though Richards was detained on July 28, news of the incident broke only this week, after Dubai police confirmed the arrest.
His lawyer believes that Richards was arrested under Decree No (9) of 2015, which bans the promotion of non-UAE charities. The law was passed last Spring.
"We don't have complete clarity but we believe he was arrested under a new UAE law that prohibits promoting non-UAE registered charities," Radha Stirling, Richards legal representative told the Khaleej Times .
According to the BBC, Dubai Police confirmed that Richards had used social media to promote a crowdfunding campaign raising money for the Zwan Family Charity. The campaign helps residents of Afghanistan's Charahi Qambar Refugee Camp.
"Every Afghan winter comes with the reality of 100's of people freezing to death in refugee camps. The bodies are buried and the memories live on but the living conditions remain," the campaign page says .
"We cannot change the situation in Afghanistan but we can help to keep these human beings alive."
The charity told ABC that Richards never worked for the organization but is a friend of a supporter who is based in Kabul.
Richards, an economic development adviser, lives in Dubai with his wife and two sons. A social media campaign by friends and supporters of Richards has been launched on social media, hoping to raise awareness about his detention.
"His wife is under extreme stress," Penelope Haberfield, Richards mother, told the BBC.
"She can only take the clothes to him once a week. She takes him money so that he can buy water and extra food... She's worried for him, she's worried for herself because if she runs out of money, will she have to leave the country? She's frightened for her children."
Detained Abroad, an organization supporting Richards, has posted several updates on its website.
"The work that Scott performed fell outside of the charity laws. [The Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities] draws a distinction in terms of 'volunteering' and have confirmed that pro bono advice and other voluntary acts would not be covered by the Fundraising Decree. Scott Richards was not raising funds and should never have been arrested," the organization's website says .
However, a Dubai Police official said that nobody would be detained in the emirate without committing a crime or breaking the law, according to the Khaleej Times.
He emphasized that any charitable funds should be raised "through licensed societies, NGOs and should be gained with permission to do so by the concerned authority."