Overview
- Mia O’Brien, 24, who was arrested in Dubai in October 2024, has returned to the UK after her mother posted Christmas Day clips showing her at home in Huyton, Merseyside.
- She had been convicted on July 25 after a one-day trial held in Arabic on drug supply and possession charges and was sentenced to 25 years plus a fine of about £100,000.
- UK officials said they supported the family and remain in contact with UAE authorities, though no official account has explained the mechanism of her release.
- Campaign group Detained in Dubai had backed the family and previously said an appeal was imminent, but the status of the conviction and any legal proceedings is not yet clear.
- Reports from relatives and media described harsh conditions at Al-Awir Central Prison, where O’Brien allegedly shared a crowded cell and slept on a mattress on the floor.