Mia O’Brien, a University of Liverpool student, was convicted after being found with 50 grams of the drug, her mother, Danielle McKenna, told British media. Along with the prison term, O’Brien was ordered to pay a fine of $136,000.
“She pleaded not guilty — they don’t have a just trial over there,” McKenna said to the Daily Mail. “She was just given a life sentence and has to serve 25 years. The trial was all in Arabic, and Mia was told of the sentence later by her lawyer.”
O’Brien had traveled to Dubai to visit a friend and her boyfriend, according to her mother, who said she believes her daughter made a “stupid mistake.” Two others were charged in connection with the case, which prosecutors described as drug-dealing.
The young woman is currently being held at Dubai Central Prison, a facility notorious for overcrowding, abuse, and poor conditions. Human Rights Watch has reported that sexual violence is common inside the jail, involving both guards and inmates, reports the Mirror.
“Mia said she has to sleep on a mattress on the floor and shares the cell with six others,” McKenna explained. “The prison conditions are horrendous. There are no staff really, and she has to bang on a big door if she needs anything. She’s seen fights and said she has been really scared.”
Her mother said O’Brien is devastated, fearing her career in law has been destroyed. The family is preparing an appeal but has struggled to raise funds. A GoFundMe page launched to cover legal costs was shut down by the platform, and McKenna is now sharing her bank details on Facebook in an attempt to gather support.
