Who Is Mia O’Brien, the British Law Student Currently Jailed in Dubai? Inside Her Shocking Case
Mia O’Brien, a law student from Liverpool, England, was sentenced to life in prison by the United Arab Emirates court.
Published Nov. 12 2025, 4:31 p.m. ET
There have been many international cases resulting in imprisonment that have captured attention around the world, and the case of British law student Mia O’Brien is one of them.
Mia is currently sentenced to life in prison in Dubai, and the severity of her punishment has many crying foul and advocating on her behalf.
Who is Mia O’Brien?
In September 2025, Mia O’Brien, a law student from Liverpool, England, was sentenced to life in prison by the United Arab Emirates court after being arrested on drug charges, according to the New York Post. A life sentence in Dubai spans between 15 and 25 years.
Mia, who was visiting her boyfriend and friends at the time of the incident, was arrested after 50 grams of cocaine were found at an apartment where she was staying during her visit. The amount of cocaine found was said to be worth $3,377.
Both her boyfriend and her friends were also arrested and have been charged with drug-dealing, but have yet to be sentenced, per the outlet. After pleading not guilty, Mia was transferred to Dubai’s most dangerous detention center, Central Prison.
In an in-depth interview, Mia’s mother spoke about her daughter’s legal fate.
Speaking with The Daily Mail in September 2025, shortly after Mia was sentenced, her mother Danielle McKenna said that her daughter has been unfairly and harshly sentenced.
“They don’t have a just trial over there. She was just given a life sentence and has to serve 25 years,” her mother told the outlet. “The trial was all in Arabic, and Mia was told of the sentence later by her lawyer.”
Danielle also shared her daughter’s current state of mind after her freedom and career trek have been upended.
“She is absolutely devastated by what has happened,” her mother said. “Mia is being really strong, but I know she is going through a living hell. Mia feels she has destroyed her life as she wanted to be a lawyer or solicitor. She’s just made a stupid mistake after going over to see a friend and her boyfriend in Dubai.”
Her mother also addressed the notorious conditions of Central Prison, where rape is said to be an “everyday occurrence.”
“Mia said she has to sleep on a mattress on the floor and shares the cell with six others,” Danielle told The Daily Mail. “The prison conditions are horrendous. There are no staff really, and she has to bang on a big door if she needs anything. She’s seen fights and said she has been really scared.”
As legal fees began to mount, Danielle started a GoFundMe for financial assistance in her daughter’s case. However, the account was shut down due to reportedly violating the terms, per The Tab.
Up next for Mia is filing an appeal of her sentence, which is said to happen within the next few weeks. Her mother is hoping to continue to bring awareness to her case in the hopes that her sentence will be reduced.