A young woman found herself in dire circumstances, living in harsh conditions in a foreign prison due to what has been described as a ‘very stupid mistake’.
Mia O’Brien, from Liverpool, UK, has been reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime that her family has chosen not to disclose.
Previously, a GoFundMe page was set up for the 23-year-old, raising about $950 before it was eventually taken down.
Her distressed mother, Danielle, expressed in the fundraiser that Mia got ‘mixed up with the wrong people’ and made a ‘very stupid mistake’, which led to her current situation. She wrote: “Mia has been given a life sentence over in Dubai, and she is now in central prison.
“As you can all probably imagine, as her mother, I am absolutely devastated. I haven’t seen my daughter since last October.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Danielle mentioned that her daughter is facing tough times following her sentencing.
She also noted that Mia was ‘just transferred to another prison after receiving a life sentence’, describing the situation as a ‘massive shock’.
O’Brien was initially detained in Dubai’s central prison, which is reportedly known for its severe conditions.
The Independent has reported that human rights organizations have raised numerous concerns regarding the treatment of prisoners there, including limited access to healthcare and inadequate sanitary conditions. Former inmates and their families have described the jail environment as ‘hellish’.
According to a blog post by Detained in Dubai, inmates are given a white uniform, with no colored items allowed, including white socks and underwear. It mentions that getting a bed is considered a ‘luxury’, with most people sleeping on an unwashed blanket on the floor.
David Haigh, who once served as the managing director of Leeds United and was detained for nearly two years on alleged fraud charges, shared his experiences with The Independent about life in the prison.
“The only way to describe being in prison in Dubai is hell,” he said back in 2015. “I was held for 22 months and I’ll never forget it – the stench, the dirt, the smell, the heat, and the lack of any information whatsoever.”
Haigh alleged that he was subjected to beatings, sexual assault, and torture by officers. He recalled a harrowing instance where three guards reportedly ‘stood’ on a fellow inmate’s neck.
“The worst of this abuse was perpetrated by the prison guards and police. I lost a lot of weight through stress,” he claimed.
“Once, when I asked for some painkillers, a guard hit me over the head with a broom handle. When someone’s beating you or hurting you in whatever form, in a weird way, you can deal with that. What I found more harrowing was seeing them do it to other prisoners in front of everyone.”
Haigh was eventually released and acquitted after 23 months of detention in 2016, but he claims to have spent his time under the constant threat of abuse and stress.
In Dubai, a life sentence can equate to 25 years of imprisonment, contingent upon the specifics of the crime in question.
The fundraiser intended to support O’Brien’s legal expenses has been removed from GoFundMe. A spokesperson explained to The Sun: “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.”