A British law student who was convicted of drug offences in Dubai is now serving a life sentence in one of the city’s most notorious prisons, where former inmates have described scenes of torture, overcrowding, and violence.
Mia O’Brien, 23, from Huyton in Merseyside, was allegedly caught with 50g of cocaine in her apartment and arrested alongside a friend and the friend’s boyfriend.
The trio was charged with drug dealing, and O’Brien was convicted after a one-day hearing on July 25. She was fined around $27,000 before being transferred to Dubai Central Prison, better known as Al-Awir.
Mia's mother, Danielle McKenna, said the ordeal has devastated the family in a now-deleted GoFundMe post: “Mia is only 23 years old and has never done a bad thing in her life."
"This is a young girl, who went to university to do law, and unfortunately got mixed up in the wrong so-called friends and made a very stupid mistake and is now paying the price," she added.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, McKenna added: “She’s going through it at the minute. She’s just been transferred to another prison after getting a life sentence. It’s been a massive shock."
"She was crying on the phone and saying, ‘Oh mum - please forgive me.’ I definitely don’t think she was going to sell the drugs or bring them back. It’s a lot of drugs but there are others involved, and she has just been caught up in it," the mom revealed.
Al-Awir prison, which houses both male and female convicts, has long been associated with harrowing accounts from former detainees.
Inmates and campaigners have described beatings, electrocution, starvation, and the denial of medical care.
Former Leeds United director David Haigh, who spent nearly two years in Dubai detention on fraud charges he denies, said his experience there was “horrific".
He said that he was tortured and raped, and that he witnessed guards using Tasers and cattle prods on other prisoners. “It was the most shocking thing of my life, and I will never forget it,” he said, per BBC News.
Others, like former prisoner Karl Williams, likened Al-Awir to the “Dubai version of Alcatraz.” He alleged that during his time inside, Russian gangs controlled wards and guards looked the other way as violent attacks and rapes took place, per The Sun.
Human Rights Watch has also reported cases of HIV-positive inmates being denied medication for months.
Basic conditions are bleak. Former detainees described cells designed for four crammed with up to ten prisoners, filthy toilets, and constant air conditioning, leaving blocks cold at night.
Prisoners are supposed to receive a mattress, pillow, and blanket, but embassy guidance notes that these are often delayed. Visiting rights are limited to once a week, and phone calls can be cancelled or blocked entirely as punishment.
Despite mounting international criticism, UAE authorities have consistently denied claims of abuse in their prisons.
Back in the UK, McKenna continues to campaign for her daughter, even setting up her own fundraiser after GoFundMe removed her page for breaching its rules against raising money for legal defences.
“I am going to set up my own, as they [GoFundMe] are nitpicking at everything... I would just like to thank everyone,” she wrote on Facebook.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed it is supporting the family. A spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman detained in the UAE and are in contact with the local authorities,” cited by the Standard.
On its website, the FCDO warns travellers of the UAE’s zero-tolerance stance on drugs: “The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe. Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty.”
For now, O’Brien remains in Al-Awir. Her mother says she is focused on staying connected to her daughter as she begins serving her sentence.