Mia O'Brien, who was handed a life sentence for drug crimes while on holiday in Dubai, was shockingly released from prison just in time for Christmas, with her mum issuing an update on TikTok.
The Brit was being held at Al-Awir Central Prison, the city's central penitentiary, when her family asked for help from the public without revealing what crime she was locked up for at first.
It soon emerged that Mia had been arrested while she was at a flat party in the UAE city, discovering that she was in possession of 50g of cocaine.
This amount of the class A drug had a UK street value of £2,500, and the now 24-year-old was convicted of drug supply and possession charges on 25 July.
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The law student - who tested positive for cocaine when she was arrested - pleaded guilty during the trial, which was held entirely in Arabic.
A life sentence in the UAE usually results in 15 to 25 years behind bars, followed by deportation, as well as a fine of £100,000.
Mia's mother, Danielle McKenna, said that she was 'absolutely devastated' by the outcome, as her daughter faced over two decades in a 'living hell'.
She had dreams of becoming a solicitor, but she was arrested in October 2024 after meeting a friend and her boyfriend in Dubai, saying later that she'd only snorted one line of cocaine in court.
Her family continued to campaign for her release, with it being revealed earlier this month that she had been given a pardon.
It meant that Mia would be home on British soil for Christmas, with Danielle posting a video montage with her daughter on Christmas morning, titling it 'She's Home', saying 'Home where she belongs'.
The mum said in the replies: "It’s like a Christmas miracle, best Christmas ever."
Danielle went on: “Mia feels she has destroyed her life as she wanted to be a solicitor.
“She is absolutely devastated by what has happened. Mia is being really strong, but I know she is going through a living hell.”
The Detained in Dubai support group, who were initially working on an appeal case, has commented on the case.
Founder Radha Stirling stated: “Dubai police have a history of rushing to secure convictions without the rigorous evidentiary standards we expect in the UK.
“Mia’s case could be the latest in a long line of miscarriages of justice.”
But thanks to what is said to be a royal pardon, an appeal won't be necessary.
Speaking to The Sun, a UAE-based legal expert stated: “They did not specify a reason for her release and such things are not made public, but keeping a young Brit in jail for 25 years would have been bad for Dubai’s PR, so I believe that would be why they decided to set her free.”
An initial GoFundMe was deleted after it broke rules about money being raised to help with legal defences for certain crimes, with the family instead starting one on Facebook.
Speaking on the deleted fundraiser, Danielle wrote: "I haven't seen my daughter since last October. Mia is only 23 years old and has never done a bad thing in her life.
"This is a young girl who went to university to do law, and unfortunately got mixed up in the wrong so-called friends and made a very stupid mistake and is now paying the price."
LADbible has reached out to Detained in Dubai for comment.
Topics: Dubai, Crime, Prison, Drugs, World News
Joshua Nair