DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Kenyan security guard now facing charges in Qatar after writing compelling accounts of being a low-paid worker there found himself targeted by a phishing attack just before his arrest. That’s according to analysts from Amnesty International and Citizen Lab. They say they were unable to say who targeted Malcolm Bidali. However, the phishing attack mirrored others previously carried out by Gulf Arab sheikhdoms targeting dissidents and political opposition. Qatar declined to comment, as did two major internet service providers in the country. Qatar now says the 28-year-old Bidali faces charges over allegedly receiving payments “by a foreign agent for the creation and distribution of disinformation.” Bidali’s supporters maintain he’s innocent.
