A British law student who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Dubai over drug-related charges has been released and reunited with her family in the UK just days before Christmas, following months of campaigning and international attention.
Mia O’Brien, 24, was arrested in Dubai in October 2024 after police reportedly discovered cocaine during a raid on an apartment where a party was taking place.
According to court documents, officers found approximately 50 grams of the substance, estimated to be worth around £2,500.
Ms O’Brien has consistently denied supplying drugs and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Despite her plea, she was convicted of drug possession and supply on July 25 this year following a one-day trial conducted entirely in Arabic.
She was handed a 25-year prison sentence, fined approximately £100,000, and transferred to Al-Awir Central Prison, a facility often described by former inmates as one of the harshest in the region.
Her release was confirmed by her mother, Danielle McKenna, who shared the emotional news on social media in the early hours of Christmas Day.
Posting a video montage titled “She’s Home”, Ms McKenna described her daughter’s return as “a Christmas miracle,” adding that it was “the best Christmas ever.”
The family, from Huyton in Merseyside, had spent months campaigning for Mia’s release with the support of the Foreign Office and campaign group Detained in Dubai.
Earlier this month, Ms McKenna hinted that her daughter’s release was imminent, expressing shock and relief as the prospect of their reunion became real.
Friends and supporters flooded social media with messages of congratulations, with many describing the situation as a “travesty” and praising the family’s persistence throughout the ordeal.
Details surrounding how Ms O’Brien secured her release have not been made public.
However, campaigners previously indicated that an appeal against her conviction was close to being heard.
Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, had earlier criticised the legal proceedings, describing them as deeply unfair and lacking due process.
Ms Stirling said the case raised serious concerns about evidentiary standards, adding that Dubai authorities have previously been accused of rushing convictions and relying on circumstantial evidence.
She urged the public to reserve judgment, noting that Ms O’Brien had pleaded not guilty from the outset.
During her detention, Ms O’Brien was reportedly held in overcrowded conditions at Al-Awir Central Prison, sometimes referred to as “Dubai’s Alcatraz.”
A former cellmate claimed she shared a cell with six other women and slept on a mattress on the floor.
Ms O’Brien was arrested alongside a female friend and her friend’s boyfriend.
Her friend reportedly tested negative for drugs and was released without charge, while Ms O’Brien and the boyfriend tested positive. It remains unclear what outcome the boyfriend faced.
The case also sparked online controversy after Ms McKenna launched a fundraising appeal to cover legal costs.
While one platform removed the campaign citing policy breaches, the family later continued their appeal elsewhere and reported receiving both support and online abuse.
A Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed the UK government had been providing assistance throughout the case, stating it remained in contact with local authorities.
Now safely back in the UK, Ms O’Brien’s family says they are focused on rebuilding their lives after what they describe as an unimaginable ordeal — one that nearly cost a young student decades of her freedom.