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A 21-year-old student from New York has been released from a Dubai prison after previously serving a year behind bars in one of the country’s notorious prisons.
Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos was handed the harsh sentence after she allegedly punched an airport security officer during a strip search while they were checking her medical waistband and left her semi-naked at Dubai International Airport on July 14.
The student, who attends Lehman College in the Big Apple, was traveling across the country from Istanbul on her way to New York when she was detained with a friend.
Instead of the ten-hour layover she expected, De Los Santos was subjected to a months-long ordeal after accidentally tapping out the airport security guard.
The female officer accused De Los Santos of “assaulting and insulting” them, which Santos denied. She was banned from traveling home and this week was sentenced to a year in prison despite paying a fine of AED 10,000 ($2,722).
When her sentence was commuted, the student is said to be ecstatic to return to the US where she will be reunited with her mother in New York.
Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos is said to be ecstatic to return to the US after her sentence is commuted
The 21-year-old student was accused earlier this year of ‘assaulting and insulting’ an airport security guard during a strip search
According to a press release from Detained in Dubai, police told De Los Santos she would be sent home to the US, despite her sentence being handed down the day before.
During her nightmarish ordeal at the airport, De Los Santos said she tried to alert security that she was wearing a brace with a wire attached to it.
She told airport officials that she had recently undergone surgery and had to wear the surgical brace 24 hours a day.
The student was stunned and was then taken to a private room and ordered to remove the brace, leaving her feeling ‘raped’ as she was left half-naked.
After finally being cleared to continue her journey, De Los Santos was unable to put on the brace, prompting her to try to get help from her friend.
But her decision to ‘gently’ touch a female customs officer’s arm to get her friend’s attention sparked chaos, with the worker accusing De Los Santos of assault.
A judge had ordered her to pay the $2,722 fine, but instead of being released, her sentence was appealed by customs officials.
The delay leaves her in an embarrassing situation for months, while at the same time having to spend $50,000 to pay for housing and legal fees in the lucrative country.
De Los Santos has said her traumatic experience at Dubai airport left her feeling “violated” and has since had to pay more than $50,000 for accommodation and legal fees.
Despite previously being told she would be allowed to leave the country, her prison sentence reportedly made her fear she would eventually be housed in the infamous Al Awis prison.
Her continued predicament led to widespread calls for her release, alongside warnings for other travelers to exercise extra caution in the Middle East.
The Dubai detainee, who has called for her release, called on officials to put in place security measures to prevent other visitors to the country from being held for long periods of time and unfairly.
“People can be held in custody in the UAE for years on false or petty charges,” said CEO Radha Stirling, adding that she wants to warn Americans that Dubai is “a dangerous place to visit.”
Before De Los Santos was released, Stirling referred to the case of TikTok influencer Tierra Young Allen, who was detained in the same country for three months earlier this year for “yelling” at a parking attendant.
“These Americans have one thing in common: they regret the day they ever decided to visit Dubai and they all continue to intensely warn other citizens to avoid the region,” Stirling said.
TikTok influencer Tierra Young Allen, who was detained in Dubai three months earlier this year for “yelling” at a parking attendant, is another recent example of why some are calling for extra vigilance on visits to the Middle Eastern country