NY Student, 21, Jailed 1 Year in Dubai for Medical Waist Binder Incident

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 A New York business arts student, Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, 21, has been sentenced to a year in jail in Dubai after lightly touching an airport security officer during a strip search conducted while examining her medical waist binder, leaving her partially unclothed.

Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, 21, and a friend were heading to New York from Turkey and were detained by airport security during a 10-hour layover at Dubai International Airport

 She was on her way from Istanbul to New York with a friend, facing a ten-hour layover at Dubai International Airport on July 14. However, her brief stopover turned into a prolonged ordeal when airport security discovered the surgical brace she was wearing with underwiring. De Los Santos explained that she had recently undergone surgery and was required to wear the brace continuously.

She was taken to a private room and asked to remove the brace, which made her feel violated and semi-naked. When she couldn't put the brace back on herself, she gently touched one of the female customs officers to seek assistance. The female officers accused her of assault and insult, which she denied. As a result, she was not allowed to travel home and was later sentenced to a year in jail, despite paying a AED 10,000 ($2,722) fine.

                    Dubai's Al-Awir Central Prison located in the United Arab Emirates

                       International Airport where the July 14th incident took place

Although she was ordered to pay the fine on August 24, customs officials appealed the sentence instead of allowing her to depart. De Los Santos has since endured months of uncertainty, spending $50,000 on accommodation and legal fees while moving between hotels and awaiting court hearings.

Her current place of detention is unclear, but there are concerns that she might be held in the notorious Al Awir prison and not be permitted to leave the country as promised. Detained in Dubai, a nonprofit organization advocating for her release, has made urgent representations on her behalf and called for safeguards to prevent unfair detentions of other visitors to the UAE.

Stirling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, cautioned against visiting Dubai, emphasizing that a mere allegation can lead to a conviction, regardless of evidence. She cited the case of TikTok influencer Tierra Young Allen, who was detained for three months for a minor incident.

De Los Santos, upon her initial detention, expressed disappointment with her perception of Dubai as a modern and futuristic city, a view that has since drastically changed. She also mentioned her mother's distress and worry.

US Representative Ritchie Torres's office is working to ensure De Los Santos's safe return home, with her next court date scheduled for October 24.

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