A British mother imprisoned in Dubai has issued a desperate and damning plea for help, describing the horrific and squalid conditions inside her jail cell in a shocking letter to a UK campaign group.
Ivy, 55, was arrested and sentenced to six months in a Dubai prison after being convicted of 'insulting' her ex-husband's new wife in a private WhatsApp message. Her case has become a stark warning for British nationals travelling to the United Arab Emirates.
In her harrowing letter, obtained by the Mirror, she describes a scene of utter despair. She is held in a cramped cell with nine other women, sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor. The inmates are plagued by insects, with Ivy writing of having to "pick bugs out of my food and water."
A Cry for Medical Help Ignored
The prisoner's health is deteriorating rapidly, yet her pleas for medical assistance are being ignored. She suffers from severe spinal arthritis and requires a specific type of painkiller, which prison authorities have failed to provide.
"I am in constant pain and cannot walk without aid," she writes. "I have begged for my medication but I am given nothing. I feel like I am being left here to suffer."
A Stark Warning to Other Brits
Detained in Dubai, the UK-based campaign group advocating for her release, has condemned the UAE's treatment of Ivy. Radha Stirling, CEO of the organisation, stated: "Her case is a tragic example of the misuse of Dubai's legal system. A private WhatsApp message has led to her being locked away in appalling conditions, with no regard for her basic human rights or medical needs."
The group is urging the UK Foreign Office to intervene more forcefully, highlighting the vast difference between the UK's justice system and the laws in Dubai, where offences like 'insulting' someone can carry a jail sentence.
Ivy’s final words in her letter are a heart-breaking cry from the dark: "I just want to come home. Please, someone, get me out of here." Her story serves as a chilling reminder of the harsh consequences facing Britons who fall foul of the UAE's strict laws.
