The 23-year-old Brooke George is currently being held in a Dubai detention centre while facing a murder charge.
Now, her family says the conditions behind bars are taking an increasingly serious toll on her.
Does not deny killing her boyfriend
The high-profile case involving British TikTok influencer Brooke George continues to attract widespread attention.
The 23-year-old is facing the possibility of execution by firing squad in Dubai after fatally stabbing her boyfriend, 26-year-old William Treeby, on the night of June 21.
According to reports, Brooke and Treeby had developed a relationship after meeting online, but the 23-year-old woman claims his behavior became controlling and abusive during her second trip to Dubai.
George does not deny killing Treeby, but says she acted in self-defense.
According to her account, she stabbed him once with a kitchen knife after he allegedly punched her in the face, threw her belongings around his apartment and continued attacking her.
The case could carry the death penalty in the UAE, meaning Brooke could potentially face execution by firing squad if convicted.
The content creator, known for sharing beauty routines and lip-synch videos on social media, was arrested at Dubai International Airport while trying to return to the UK and has remained in custody ever since.
She is currently being held at the notorious Bur Dubai police detention centre, a facility campaigners say was never designed for someone to spend months inside.
Bright lights are kept on around the clock
According to her mother, Brooke George is struggling to sleep because bright lights are kept on around the clock, while the sounds of babies and children nearby add to the noise. She has also allegedly been told she can no longer make international calls, leaving her family struggling to stay in contact.
”She can’t sleep,” Tess said. ”She can barely call home. I’m getting very worried about her mental state.”
The advocacy group Detained in Dubai has raised concerns about the conditions she is facing, claiming she is sleep-deprived and increasingly distressed.
In a recent update, the organisation said the detention centre was ”never designed for long-term habitation.”
It added: ”British citizens who were locked up there for only hours during the Iran strikes were terrified at the thought of spending days there, let alone months.”
Brooke’s family says the situation has become even more difficult since her latest court hearing.
Calls getting cut off
Her trial was due to continue on October 8, but prosecution witnesses who had been expected to appear failed to turn up. The hearing was subsequently postponed until October 28, meaning Brooke will remain in detention for at least several more weeks while the court waits for further evidence.
Her mother says the brief contact she has managed to have with her daughter has left the family deeply worried.
Tess alleges that recent calls were ”cut off after approximately two minutes” and that Brooke has now been told she ”cannot make international calls.”
She was reportedly told she would be given medication to help her sleep, but campaigners claim she has yet to receive it.
Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, said Brooke is ”suffering terribly” and becoming ”increasingly upset.”
”Her mother is left wondering how much worse things will become before she hears her daughter’s voice again,” Stirling said.
”Two minutes on the telephone, followed by an abrupt disconnection, is distressing for everyone involved.
”For Brooke, those calls are a lifeline. For her family, they are the only opportunity to hear how she is coping and offer some reassurance.”
”We will do everything we can”
Stirling has called for concerns about Brooke’s wellbeing to be dealt with before her next court appearance, rather than waiting for the case to resume.
”Her health cannot be put on hold until the next court hearing.”
The campaign group says it is trying to secure medical care for Brooke, access to sleep medication where clinically appropriate, and more reliable communication with her family.
”We will do everything we can to help,” Stirling said. ”Brooke needs to know she has not been forgotten. Her family needs to be able to speak to her, and her worsening distress needs proper medical attention.
”Whatever the allegations, she is entitled to humane treatment while her case is heard.”
In the UAE, execution by firing squad is the only legally recognized method of carrying out a death sentence.
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