Britain outraged by sentence of student in Dubai: 25 years for a single line of cocaine.

25 years of imprisonment for law student in Dubai

According to The Sun: Law student Mia O'Brien has received 25 years in a hellish Dubai jail for consuming just 'one line of cocaine', which has come to light for the first time.

Mia's British mother told The Sun: “She mentioned that they were at a party, having fun, when suddenly the police showed up and took her out of the car.”

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“There were drugs at the party, and she confessed she had used them. Mia was aware she was in serious trouble, but did not think she could be considered a drug dealer.

“She was sure that even though she used cocaine, she was not involved in drug trafficking.

“This is how she behaved in the detention center.

“If what she says is true, and all she did was one line of cocaine, 25 years is an incredibly harsh sentence. She noted that she had come as a guest and had only been there a few days.”

Mia was arrested along with a friend and her boyfriend when police found 50 grams of cocaine in their apartment last autumn.

On July 25, during a one-day trial conducted in Arabic, she was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years.

She is currently in Al-Awir prison, following several months at the notorious Al-Barsha detention center.

Her former cellmate, who was imprisoned for leaving the scene of a traffic accident and was released after paying a £3000 fine, said: “Mia argued with her friend, as she thought the cocaine belonged to her boyfriend. Her problem is that they all got caught, and Mia had cocaine in her system.”

“Her friend tested negative, so she was released and returned to the UK. Mia believes her friend might have set her up in order to get back home.”

Mia's mother commented on the conditions in Al-Barsha: “There is no light, and the toilets are a true nightmare. One area is overcrowded with people who realize they have been caught in a crime and will serve long sentences.”

Mia's sentence and the £100,000 fine only became known this month, when her 46-year-old mother, Danielle McKenna, from Huyton, Liverpool, launched a fundraising campaign to try and overturn the sentence.

Mia's friend, known only as Emma, took a cocaine test that returned a negative result and was released without charges.

Her boyfriend received the same 25-year sentence as Mia.

Mia was arrested along with a friend and her boyfriend when police found 50g of cocaine in their apartment last autumn. Facebook GoFundMe

This situation highlights the harsh anti-drug laws in the UAE, which can result in severe penalties even for minor offenses. Local laws govern not only the use of drugs but also their presence in the bloodstream, which was the basis for the heavy sentence for the young student. Mia's family hopes for a review of the case and the cancellation of the punishment, but the process may be long and complicated, considering the country's legal system. They are now actively seeking support to ensure the best outcome for Mia. The funds raised could help them in this difficult struggle.