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Brooke George Charged
A British TikTok influencer, Brooke George, 23, faces possible execution in Dubai after Dubai police charged her with premeditated murder over the stabbing death of a 26-year-old man she met online, according to Detained in Dubai and CBS News.
“If found guilty, she may be executed by firing squad”
CBS News said George was arrested in the early hours of June 22 and is being held at the Bur Dubai police station, after she told Detained in Dubai she acted in self defense when she “acted in self defense.”
Detained in Dubai said George was charged with premeditated murder and could face the firing squad if convicted, after it said she met the man on Facebook and traveled to Dubai after developing an online relationship.
The BBC reported that George was arrested in the early hours of 22 June and charged with premeditated murder, and that she faces execution under UAE laws if convicted.
The BBC also said that while being held at Bur Dubai Police Station, George alleged she was forced to strip naked in front of male officers without a female officer present, which she said was "deeply humiliating and distressing."
Claims of Abuse
Detained in Dubai, as quoted by CBS News, said George described her first visit to Dubai as "the time of my life" and said she later told friends that "things weren't right" during the second visit.
CBS News said George told Detained in Dubai that after an evening at an Irish bar in Dubai the man became intoxicated and “assaulted her in the car before continuing the attack after they returned to the apartment.”
The BBC reported that Detained in Dubai said George claimed she grabbed a knife in self-defence during a violent attack by her partner in the UAE, and that the group called for her to be released on bail and for the case to be dealt with as domestic violence.
In a statement carried by the BBC, Radha Stirling said the case “raises serious concerns about violence against women, the right to self-defence, due process and the treatment of British nationals detained overseas.”
The BBC also quoted Thereza George saying, "I have never seen my daughter so frightened in my life," after she said one of her eyes was badly swollen and beginning to close.
Bail, Due Process, Consular Access
Detained in Dubai said George had not been given access to her embassy and had to make statements without a lawyer present, while the BBC reported that the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said it was supporting a British woman detained in the UAE and was in contact with her family.
“"protection, appropriate medical care, legal representation and immediate British consular assistance”
The BBC said Detained in Dubai called for George to receive "protection, appropriate medical care, legal representation and immediate British consular assistance while the investigation proceeds" as it urged her release on bail pending the outcome of the investigation.
CBS News reported that a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office told CBS News, "We are in touch with a British woman detained in the UAE, we are supporting her family, and we are in contact with the local authorities."
The BBC said Detained in Dubai called for the case to be dealt with as domestic violence and said the UAE has a well-documented history of criminalising and revictimising women who report violence.
Across the accounts, George remains held at Bur Dubai Police Station after being charged with premeditated murder, with Detained in Dubai saying she should be treated as a presumed victim of violence whose allegations and documented injuries deserve proper investigation.
