A British law student from Liverpool has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Dubai after being caught with 50 grams of cocaine, valued at around £2,500. Mia O'Brien, 23, was convicted following a one-day hearing conducted entirely in Arabic, which she did not understand. She is now being held at Al-Awir central prison, a facility that has faced allegations of torture and inhumane conditions.
Reports from former British inmates describe Al-Awir as a 'hellhole' where sexual abuse, rape, and violence are commonplace. Karl Williams, imprisoned in 2012, alleged that guards electrocuted his testicles and that Russian gangs used HIV-positive prisoners to infect others as punishment. Other detainees have claimed that sick inmates are left to die, and that prisoners are forced to drink toilet water. The Dubai government has consistently denied all allegations.
Mia's mother, Danielle McKenna, described the prison conditions as 'horrendous', stating that her daughter must 'bang on a big door' to get attention. Mia shares a cell with six other inmates and is supposed to receive a pillow, blanket, and mattress, but the British Embassy warned these may take time to be provided. Visits are scheduled for Wednesdays but can be cancelled at short notice, and phone calls require guard approval.
Danielle said her daughter made a 'very stupid mistake' and is 'absolutely devastated'. Mia pleaded not guilty to intent to supply, but the judge handed down a life sentence. An appeal is expected within weeks, and Mia hopes to be transferred back to the UK after Ramadan. A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover legal fees.
