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A BRITISH law student who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Dubai for drug-related offenses is back home for Christmas following an unexpected release from incarceration.
Mia O'Brien, 24, faced years of suffering after testing positive for cocaine when she was arrested at a party during her holiday.
Mia O’Brien was imprisoned in Dubai after authorities discovered 50g of cocaine at a flat where she was partyingCredit: GoFundMe
Mia’s mother, Danielle McKenna, right, announced her daughter's return to the UK
Her family began to seek help after her imprisonment, and earlier this month, it was revealed that she received a royal pardon.
Her ecstatic mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, shared that Mia made it home just in time to celebrate Christmas in Huyton, Merseyside.
Danielle posted a video montage featuring her and Mia in the early hours of December 25 titled ‘She’s Home’, expressing: “Home where she belongs.”
In response to well-wishers, she added: “It feels like a Christmas miracle, the best Christmas ever.”
Law student Mia, who aspired to become a solicitor, was arrested in October of the previous year after traveling to Dubai to visit a friend and her boyfriend.
She was found in possession of 50 grams of cocaine, valued at approximately £2,500 in the UK, when police raided the party she attended.
Mia later claimed she had only snorted a single line of the Class A drug and pleaded not guilty during her trial in July.
However, she was convicted after a one-day hearing conducted in Arabic and sentenced to life, typically ranging from 15 to 25 years in Dubai, along with a fine of £100,000.
Danielle expressed at the time: “Mia feels as though she has ruined her life, as she wanted to be a solicitor.
“She is completely devastated by these events. Mia is being incredibly strong, but I know she is enduring a living nightmare.”
The Detained in Dubai support group took on her case, and its founder, Radha Stirling, stated: “Dubai police have a history of hastily securing convictions without the rigorous evidentiary standards we expect in the UK.
“Mia’s case could be the latest example of a miscarriage of justice.”
The group mentioned it was assisting Mia in preparing an appeal, but it appears she was released due to a royal pardon.
Her grandmother, Rose, 70, remarked earlier: “Someone must have been watching over her for her to receive this pardon.
“She simply did not think through her actions. Dubai has zero tolerance for drugs.”
A legal expert based in the UAE commented: “They did not provide a reason for her release, and such details are typically kept private, but keeping a young Brit in jail for 25 years would have reflected poorly on Dubai’s reputation, which likely influenced their decision to release her.”
Mia was convicted of drug offenses in Dubai
Mia was taken into custody following the police raid, although her friend, known only as Emma, tested negative and was permitted to return to the UK.
Emma’s boyfriend also received a 25-year sentence.
Mia was incarcerated in Al-Awir Central Prison—infamously referred to as “Dubai’s version of Alcatraz.”
A former cellmate recounted to The Sun: “She said they were at a party having fun when suddenly police arrived and took her away.
“There were drugs at the party, and she told me, ‘I took drugs.’ Mia understood she was in serious trouble but did not think she would be treated as a dealer.
“She seemed to believe that since she had only taken cocaine, she wasn’t involved in drug dealing.
“If her claims are accurate and she only did a line of cocaine, a 25-year sentence is excessively harsh.”
Former inmates of the Central Prison have reported that inmates were subjected to rape, torture, and even starvation by cruel guards.
Dubai’s prison system and government deny all allegations.
Inside 'Dubai's version of Alcatraz'
MIA O'Brien was confined in the Al-Awir Central Prison in Dubai.
The facility accommodates both male and female prisoners, with them being separated upon entering the foreboding gates.
Women occupy one of the four blocks within the vast prison, as reported by the British
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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