A British law student was sentenced to 25 years in a Dubai prison after being convicted on drug charges, and a woman who shared a cell with her has told a UK tabloid that the defendant said she had taken only a single line of cocaine when arrested.
Mia O’Brien, 24, from Huyton, Merseyside, was convicted after a day-long hearing on July 25 that, her family says, was conducted entirely in Arabic. Dubai authorities said she was found at a party last October with 50 grams of cocaine, a Class A drug, and was ordered to pay a 500,000-dirham fine, equivalent to just over £100,000. O’Brien pleaded not guilty, and an appeal is scheduled in the coming weeks, her family said.
O’Brien’s mother, Danielle McKenna, and a former cellmate who spoke to The Sun described conditions at Dubai Central Prison, also known as Al Awir, where O’Brien is being held. The former cellmate told the newspaper that O’Brien admitted taking a single line of cocaine and said she had not expected to be treated as a dealer by the judicial system. O’Brien’s mother has described her daughter’s detention as a “living hell” and said she was visiting Dubai on holiday to see friends.
According to the family, O’Brien was detained after police discovered a quantity of the drug at a private gathering. A friend identified in reports only as Emma was also arrested but tested negative for cocaine and was released without charge. Emma’s boyfriend, who was reportedly linked to the same incident, received a life sentence, the family said.
The family launched an online fundraiser to pay legal costs and the court-ordered fine, but the campaign was removed by GoFundMe for violating its terms of service. At the time of its removal, it had raised about £700 toward a target of £1,600. The family said the fine has not been paid and that an appeal is expected shortly.
O’Brien spent several months in the Al Barsha police detention centre before being transferred to Al Awir. Human rights groups and former inmates have long criticised conditions at Al Awir. Reports and testimony from past detainees have described overcrowded cells, limited medical care, violent assaults, and accounts of torture and mistreatment during interrogations. A report published in 2019 said some prisoners with serious health conditions had been denied treatment. Former inmates have also accused prison staff of failing to prevent violence among prisoners.
The prison has housed several high-profile international detainees over the years. Karl Williams, a British national who was released after serving time in the facility, previously published a memoir detailing alleged abuse and violence during his incarceration. Rights groups argue that the treatment of foreign nationals in the UAE’s penal system raises concerns over due process, language access at trial and the proportionality of sentences for drug offences.
Legal rights organisations say access to independent consular assistance, timely translation and legal representation are critical for foreign defendants. O’Brien’s family has appealed to British consular services and public support as they prepare for the upcoming appeal.
Dubai’s authorities have historically defended their legal processes and emphasised that drug trafficking and possession are treated severely under UAE law. The court records for O’Brien’s case have not been released publicly, and officials in Dubai did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
O’Brien is one of a number of British nationals who have faced lengthy prison terms in the UAE in recent years. Her case has drawn attention in the UK because of her age, student status and the family’s assertion that she was in the country only briefly when detained. The appeal will determine whether the conviction or sentence is altered, and the family and legal advisers are awaiting the next hearing date.