British student, 23, jailed for life in Dubai after 'very stupid mistake' has fundraiser removed for major reason
The fundraiser for a British student jailed for life in Dubai for what her family described as a 'very stupid mistake' has been deleted.
Liverpool law student Mia O’Brien, 23, who 'has never done a bad thing in her life', is now said to be 'paying the price' for mixing in with the wrong crowd in the UAE city, according to her mum Danielle McKenna, 46.
She wrote in a GoFundMe with a £1,600 target: "As you can all probably imagine, as her mother, I am absolutely devastated. I haven't seen my daughter since last October."
"This is a young girl, who went to university to do law, and unfortunately got mixed up in the wrong so-called friends," Danielle added, without revealing why Mia has been jailed.
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However, the fundraiser has since been taken down, having raised £700 before its removal, The Sun reports.
A GoFundMe spokesperson told the outlet that '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," they explained.
Just before it was taken down, Danielle thanked 'everyone for their donations so far' and insisted that 'this money will be used to send to send to my daughter Mia'.
The mum said it would also go towards 'any legal fees that may arise, and maybe even to go towards getting family over to Dubai to see her, as none of us have seen Mia since last October, so thank you all so much'.
"She's going through it at the minute," Danielle added to the Daily Mail. "She's just been transferred to another prison after getting a life sentence. It's been a massive shock."
Mia was reportedly being held in Dubai's central prison, with conditions being described as 'hellish'. However, her mother has since confirmed that she had 'just been transferred to another prison after getting a life sentence'.
A blog post about the prison on Detained in Dubai reads: "You get given a white uniform, no coloured anythings allowed, so white pant/socks etc.
"You may, if you’re lucky, get a bed, but more likely you’ll be on your blanket (which isn’t washed) on the floor. Each 'Amber' – room – has 96 bunks making a total of 192 beds.
"Breakfast is served at 5am, lunch at 11am and supper at 5pm. Hope you like rice…"
Typically, a life sentence in Dubai is between 15 and 25 years.
David Haigh, former managing director of Leeds United, who spent 22 months jailed in Dubai, told The Independent that 'the only way to describe being in prison in Dubai is hell'.
“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 said.
LADbible Group has contacted GoFundMe for additional comment.
Anish Vij