*A British TikTok influencer could face the death penalty in Dubai after authorities charged her with premeditated murder in the death of a man she met online, CBS News reports.
Brooke George, 23, from Kent, England, remains in custody at Bur Dubai police station following her June 22 arrest. Advocacy organization Detained in Dubai (DiD)said George may face execution by firing squad if she is convicted.
The group has urged authorities to release George on bail while the investigation continues. Chief executive Radha Stirling said the case raises broader questions about “violence against women, the right to self defence, due process and the treatment of British nationals detained overseas.”
Detained in Dubai also alleges George has been denied access to the British Embassy and required to give statements without legal representation. The organization further claims she was forced to strip in front of male officers without female officers present.
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British officials confirmed they are involved in the case. A spokesperson for the 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.”
According to DiD, George traveled to the United Arab Emirates after developing a relationship with a 26-year-old man through Facebook. The organization said George enjoyed her first visit to Dubai, describing it as “the time of my life.”
The advocacy group says George later became concerned during a return trip, alleging that the man’s behavior grew increasingly controlling. George reportedly told friends that “things weren’t right” and claimed she discovered “disturbing videos” on his computer.
DiD says the pair returned to the man’s apartment after a night at an Irish bar, where an altercation allegedly turned violent. George’s family said she contacted them in distress and later arranged a flight home.
“The family say she was crying and begging for her passport’s return when she was punched hard in the face and attacked,” the organization said. “Brooke says she feared for her life and, reaching for a kitchen knife within her grasp, acted in self-defense.”
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