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Topics: Crime, UK News, World News, Police, Travel
Rhiannon Ingle
A lawyer has issued a warning after a 23-year-old British law student was jailed for life in Dubai after making what her mother has dubbed a 'very stupid mistake'.
In October, Mia O'Brien was arrested after allegedly being found with 50 grams of cocaine at an apartment in Dubai with her mum, Dannielle McKenna, 46, claiming that her daughter was arrested alongside her friend and the friend's boyfriend, with all three of them being charged with drug dealing.
The Liverpool University student pleaded not guilty, but was given a life sentence after a one-day hearing earlier this summer (25 July), as well as an £100,000 fine.
In Dubai, the penalties for drug-related offences can be severe, as the UK Foreign Office says that sentences for drug trafficking can 'include the death penalty'.
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Mia is reportedly being held in Dubai Central Prison, also known as Al-Awir, where the conditions have been described as 'hellish'.
Dannielle created a GoFundMe following Mia's arrest before it was shut down for violating website guidelines. She's since launched another fundraiser on GiveSendGo.
Radha Stirling, the founder of Detained in Dubai, which has been assisting foreign victims of injustice in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the Gulf States for 17 years, has stated that Mia’s ordeal reflects 'the same systemic failures in Dubai’s justice system that have repeatedly harmed British nationals'.
"Dubai police have a history of rushing to secure convictions without the rigorous evidentiary standards we expect in the UK," she said. "We’ve seen fabricated confessions, reliance on circumstantial evidence, and a disregard for due process. I would urge the public to withhold judgement.
"Mia’s case could be the latest in a long line of miscarriages of justice."
Stirling went on to add that Mia’s experience is not unique.
Back in 2020, 23-year-old Emirates flight attendant Derrin Crawford was jailed for two months after being caught up in her date’s arrest when police found cannabis in his flat.
Despite testing negative and having no involvement, she was imprisoned nonetheless.
In another case, British Army veteran Andy Neal spent more than a year behind bars, accused of being part of a drug gang, before he was fully exonerated when the evidence collapsed and police were found to be manufacturing the narrative.
"Both Derrin and Andy were innocent yet Andy suffered years behind bars because of the UAE’s defective policing and prosecutorial practices," Stirling continued. “Mia has pleaded not guilty from the start, but the system has already failed her.
"Unless this appeal is taken seriously, she risks losing decades of her life."
Discussing the 'systemic problems with Dubai policing', Stirling added: "The UAE authorities have shown again and again that their investigations cannot be trusted."
In her latest statements, the lawyer concluded that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office should 'review and expand its travel warnings to reflect the risks posed by police conduct, unreliable evidence, and unfair trials in the UAE, so that British citizens are fully aware of the dangers before travelling'.
The United Arab Emirates is known to hand out life sentences for crimes like drug trafficking, serious violence, and terrorism.
Gov.uk explicitly warns British visitors: "There is zero tolerance for drug-related offences. The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe.
"Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty. Possession of even the smallest amount of illegal drugs, including cannabis, can lead to a minimum 3-month prison term or a fine of between 20,000 UAE dirham (£4,000) and 100,000 UAE dirham (£20,000)."
The guidance continues: "The Emirati authorities count the presence of drugs in the bloodstream as possession. Some 'herbal highs' and products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are illegal in the UAE.
"Possessing, concealing or making transactions with money from drug-related offences is illegal. You could get a prison sentence and a fine.
"UAE airports have excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items, including cannabis. This is also used to scan the baggage of transiting passengers. You can be arrested for carrying drugs, even residual amounts."
Tyla has reached out to the Official Portal of UAE Government for comment.