The mother of a 23-year-old British woman who was sentenced to life in prison in Dubai has issued a new public plea for help.
As previously reported, Danielle McKenna has not seen her daughter, Mia O’Brien, since October last year after she was handed a life sentence.
Mckenna launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for Mia's legal fees and family travel costs to the United Arab Emirates, writing: “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.
GoFundMe later removed the fundraiser because it violated its policies. In a statement to The Sun, they explained: “It was removed because it violates Term 9 of the Prohibited Conduct section in our Terms of Service. Term 9 prohibits raising funds on GoFundMe for the legal defence of certain alleged crimes.”
Despite the removal, McKenna has since taken to Facebook to continue her fundraising efforts directly.
“I am going to set up my own, as they [GoFundMe] are nitpicking at everything... I would just like to thank everyone,” she wrote, sharing her bank details with supporters.
According to the outlet, Mia was allegedly found with 50g of cocaine and was arrested along with her friend and the friend’s boyfriend. The trio was charged with drug dealing, and the law student was convicted by a judge after a one-day hearing on July 25
She was allegedly fined a staggering $27K by the court before being transferred to Dubai Central Prison, also known as Al-Awir.
McKenna opened up about her daughter's imprisonment with Daily Mail, sharing: “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 said.
She added: “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 UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it is in contact with O’Brien’s family and the Emirati authorities. A spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman detained in the UAE and are in contact with the local authorities.”
On its website, the FCDO stresses the UAE’s uncompromising stance on drugs: “There is zero tolerance for drug-related offences. The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe. Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty.”
The warning adds that even trace amounts detected in the bloodstream count as possession, and that products like herbal highs and CBD oil are banned. Penalties include a minimum three-month prison sentence or fines of up to 100,000 dirham ($27,000+).
McKenna said her focus now is on staying connected to her daughter and finding support to get through what she described as a devastating ordeal.