UK Law Student Sentenced to 25 Years in Dubai Prison

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Mia O'Brien, a 23-year-old law student from the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to 25 years in a Dubai prison after being found with 50 grams of cocaine. O’Brien was arrested in an apartment, and her mother, Danielle McKenna, revealed the details of the shocking case last week.

The drugs, valued at approximately $3,377, led to a devastating sentence for O’Brien, who will also have to pay a fine of $136,000. McKenna, 46, expressed her frustration, saying, “She pleaded not guilty — they don’t have a just trial over there.” O’Brien’s trial was conducted entirely in Arabic, and she learned about her sentence from her lawyer.

McKenna described her daughter’s emotional state, stating, “Mia is absolutely devastated by what has happened. She is being really strong, but I know she is going through a living hell.” O’Brien had been studying law at the University of Liverpool and aspired to become a lawyer.

According to McKenna, O’Brien thinks she has destroyed her life after making a bad decision to visit friends in Dubai. “She just made a stupid mistake after going over to see a friend and her boyfriend in Dubai,” McKenna said. Two others arrested alongside O’Brien have also been charged with drug dealing.

O’Brien is currently held at Dubai’s Central Prison, notorious for its brutal conditions. Reports from Human Rights Watch indicate that rape is common in the facility, where overcrowding and violence are rampant. Her mother described the terrible living conditions, noting, “Mia said she has to sleep on a mattress on the floor and shares the cell with six others.”

O’Brien hopes to appeal her sentence in the coming weeks, as her mother has attempted to raise funds for her legal fees. A GoFundMe page set up by McKenna was shut down for violating terms, prompting her to share her bank details on social media in search of financial support.