A New York business arts student has been sentenced to a year in prison in Dubai after strip-searching her and tapping an airport security guard on the arm as he checked her medical waistband, leaving her half-naked.
Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, 21, who attends Lehman College in the Big Apple, was traveling from Istanbul to New York with a friend when they were arrested during a 10-hour layover at Dubai International Airport on July 14.
But what she thought would be a quick stopover in the United Arab Emirates turned into a months-long nightmare after airport security was alerted to a pair of braces Santos was wearing. She told airport officials that she had recently undergone surgery and was ordered to wear the surgical brace 24 hours a day.
She was taken to a private room and told to remove the braces, leaving her half-naked and feeling “violated.” She was finally allowed to leave, but since she was unable to get the braces back on, she “gently” touched the customs officer’s arm to get her friend to help her.
The female officers accused Santos of “assaulting and insulting” them, which De Los Santos denied. She was banned from traveling home and on Monday was sentenced to one year in prison despite paying a AED 10,000 ($2,722) fine.
Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, 21, and a friend were traveling from Turkey to New York and were detained by airport security during a 10-hour layover at Dubai International Airport
Pictured: Al-Awir Central Prison in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
Dubai International Airport, where the July 14 incident occurred
The judges had ordered De Los Santos to pay the fine on August 24, but instead of allowing her to continue her journey, customs officials appealed the verdict.
She has now endured a months-long ordeal and has had to spend $50,000 to afford accommodation and legal fees in the expensive country.
Since mid-July, De Los Santos had to move from one hotel to another and waited for court hearings before learning of her sentence.
It is unclear where De Los Santos is currently being held, but Detained in Dubai, the nonprofit organization campaigning for her release, says it fears she is being held at the notorious Al Awir prison.
Detainees in Dubai have urgently come forward on behalf of Santos and are also calling on officials to take security precautions to prevent other visitors to the country from facing long and unjustified detention.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said people could be held in the United Arab Emirates for years based on false or minor allegations and wanted to warn Americans that Dubai is “a dangerous place to visit.”
“Elizabeth faced degrading, painful and humiliating searches as she traveled through the international hub from Istanbul to New York, but the nightmare is not over yet,” Stirling said.
“Elizabeth only wanted to travel around Dubai for six hours, but she has been there for months and has lost $50,000 in expenses and legal fees,” she said.
“She has now been informed that she faces a year in prison but, if all goes well, she will only be held until she can book a flight out of the UAE.”
“In addition to the humiliation and trauma at the hands of airport staff, Elizabeth had to stay in an expensive country for months, pay expensive lawyers and miss out on her university studies.” Is this the type of transport hub people would choose?
She continued: “Elizabeth is extremely concerned that she will be locked up in the notorious Al-Awir prison and will not be allowed to leave the country (as promised).”
“Even if she is allowed to be deported tomorrow, she will remain in prison until then, not knowing whether there will be further delays or whether she will actually end up having to serve the entire sentence.”
“This is an extreme situation for a 21-year-old.”
Sterling said a “mere accusation” was enough to secure a conviction, regardless of whether or not there was evidence of wrongdoing.
She also pointed 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 lot employee.
A doctor shows a hallway in the medical center at Al-Awir Central Prison in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
In this undated photo, De Los Santos is seen with her late 44-year-old father
“One thing these Americans have in common is that they regret the day they decided to visit Dubai, and they all continue to strongly warn other citizens to avoid the region,” Stirling said.
At the time of her arrest, De Los Santos said: “We thought it would be a more modern and futuristic city, but we were completely wrong.”
She also claimed her mother was left in “shock and distress”. She’s really worried and cries all the time.’
US Representative Ritchie Torres’ office told on Monday: “We are doing everything we can to work with American officials in the United Arab Emirates to ensure Elizabeth can return home safely.”
A spokesman for Lehman College, a liberal arts college in the Bronx, told that Santos is a transfer student.
De Los Santos’ next court date is October 24.