There are three unanswered questions regarding the case of Mia O'Brien, who remains in jail in Dubai.
Mia O'Brien, a 23-year-old law student from Huyton, Merseyside, is enduring a harrowing ordeal in a Dubai prison after being sentenced to 25 years behind bars for drug-related charges.
Arrested last October, Mia was reportedly found with 50 grams of cocaine, valued at around £2,500 in the UK.
Her family, however, insists that she is innocent and that the entire situation is a "miscarriage of justice."
Mia was convicted on July 25, following a brief one-day trial conducted entirely in Arabic.
The court sentenced her to life imprisonment along with a £100,000 fine, and she is currently held in the notorious Al-Awir prison, which is often compared to the Gulf state’s version of “Alcatraz.”
According to her mother, Danielle McKenna, Mia has never taken drugs and had no intention of selling or trafficking the substances.
Life Behind Bars: Horrific Conditions in Dubai’s Central Prison
Inside the infamous Dubai Central Prison, Mia's living conditions are far from ideal.
Her mother describes the facility as overcrowded and violent, with little staff presence.
“Mia is absolutely devastated by what has happened. She is being really strong but I know she is going through a living hell. The prison conditions are horrendous. There are no staff really and she has to bang on a big door if she needs anything,” said Danielle.
Mia shares a cell with six other women and sleeps on a mattress on the floor.
Her mother reveals that Mia has been "really scared" seeing fights in the prison and dealing with the stress of such a harsh environment.
“She’s seen fights and said she has been really scared,” Danielle added.
"She has just come out in a few rashes but hasn’t been seriously ill.”
Despite the turmoil, Mia is reportedly trying to stay strong and keep her head down, but she deeply misses her two younger brothers, who are only five and seven years old.
Danielle emphasized that Mia just wants to come home and has been braving the challenging circumstances, hoping for a way out, per the Sun.
The Three Key Mysteries Surrounding Mia’s Case
Despite the extensive media coverage, several critical questions still hang over Mia's case:
Where Are the Friend and Boyfriend She Was With?When Mia was arrested, she was not alone.
She was detained alongside a friend and her friend’s boyfriend, both of whom were also charged with drug-related offenses.
However, details about their fates remain unclear.
Mia's mother has confirmed that “others were involved,” but there has been no public information regarding whether the friend and boyfriend were convicted, freed, or still in Dubai.
The lack of information on their status raises more questions about the case.
Mia's arrest took place in October 2023, yet her case remained largely unknown until the family decided to publicize it via a GoFundMe campaign in late July 2024.
Danielle admitted to being “shocked and heartbroken” when she first found out about the drugs and initially struggled to go public with the details.
The delay in bringing her daughter’s case to the public eye left many questions unanswered.
Moreover, the GoFundMe fundraiser was abruptly removed by the platform for violating its guidelines, specifically Term 9 of the Prohibited Conduct section, which prohibits raising funds for the legal defense of certain alleged crimes.
This action left the family with one less option for financial support.
Despite the removal, Danielle expressed gratitude to those who had already contributed.
Who Really Owned the Cocaine?Mia’s conviction hinges on the discovery of 50 grams of cocaine, found in her Dubai apartment in a “huge chunk.”
Prosecutors accused her of intending to supply the drug, a claim Mia has vehemently denied.
Danielle argues that Mia was “just caught up in it” and firmly believes her daughter had no intention of selling the cocaine or smuggling it back to the UK.
“I definitely don’t think she was going to sell the drugs or bring them back,” said Danielle, emphasizing her daughter’s innocence.
Despite the serious charges, Danielle remains hopeful that Mia will eventually be allowed to return to the UK to serve her sentence there.
She mentioned the possibility of clemency deals after Ramadan, and hopes that Mia might be transferred to a British facility in the future.