New York student, 21, jailed for a year in Dubai after ‘gently tapping’ airport officer during 'humiliating' search

3 October 2023, 09:57 | Updated: 3 October 2023, 10:41

A New York student, 21, has been sentenced to a year in jail in Dubai after she 'gently touched' an airport customs officer on the shoulder.

Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, 21, a business arts student at Lehman College in New York was detained during a 10 hour layover in Dubai on July 14.

Ms De Los Santos was travelling from Istanbul back to New York after a brief getaway and had a layover in the UAE with a friend when things quickly turned sour.

Passing through the airport security, officials were alerted to a brace Ms De Los Santos was wearing with under wiring on it. She told the airport security the brace was medical and she had been mandated to wear it 24/7 after having surgery.

She was then escorted to a private room where she was instructed to remove the brace, which goes around her waist, stomach and upper chest.

She was instructed to remove the brace, leaving her half naked, the student claimed. “I was feeling uncomfortable and afraid. I felt really violated,” Ms De Los Santos said.

After checking the brace she was cleared to leave but unable to get the brace back on by herself, and so she tried to catch her friend’s attention outside to ask for her help.

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The 21-year-old “gently touched” one of the female customs officer’s arms as she tried to motion to her friend.

But Ms De Los Santos was then accused of "assaulting and insulting" the female customs officer, which she denied, and was detained.

A travel ban was then imposed on her, forbidding her from flying back to the US.

Since mid-July, Ms De Los Santos has moved from hotel to hotel while waiting for court hearings and has been forced to fork out $50,00 in accommodation and lawyer costs, MailOnline reported.

On August 24 the business arts student was fined AED 10,000 ($2,722), which should have enabled her to leave the UAE, but this was prohibited after customs officials appealed the sentence.

This week she was sentenced to a year in jail.

"She's now been told she has a one year prison sentence, but that if all 'goes well', she will only be detained until she can book a flight out of the UAE."

Her next hearing is scheduled for October 23 but as Dubai courts automatically allow appears, regardless of whether there is merit or not, she has been warned prosecution can appeal again - which means she would be forced to stay in Dubai.

“Even if Elizabeth wins her case, 6 months or more of being forced to stay in the country at her own cost while under the very real threat of imprisonment, is an unacceptable consequence of transiting through Dubai”, Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International said.

Detained in Dubai, a nonprofit campaign group, has made urgent representations on the 21-year-old’s behalf.

“She is under the most incredible stress which is impacting her physical and mental health, disrupting her entire life and scarring her long term. This is simply no way to treat visitors. It’s outrageous.”

Ms De Los Santos’ mum has been left in “shock and suffering. She is really worried and keeps crying,” she added.

“People could end up detained in the UAE for years on bogus or minor charges and wants to warn Americans Dubai is 'a dangerous place to visit.

“Elizabeth faced degrading, painful and humiliating searches when she transited through the international hub from Istanbul to New York but the nightmare has not ended.”