Briton faces death penalty over drug deal

A UK man is facing the death penalty in the United Arab Emirates, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

A local news report claimed the unnamed Briton is a 21-year-old, who was sentenced in Abu Dhabi alongside a 19-year-old Syrian man for selling an undercover police officer 20g of cannabis worth 1,500 UAE Dirhams (£262).

The Foreign Office was unable to confirm any details, but a spokesman confirmed that it had been contacted yesterday.

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He said: “I can confirm that a British national is facing death penalty in the UAE. We remain in close contact with the British national and his legal team and continue to provide consular assistance.”

UAE newspaper the National reported that the man’s mother collapsed outside the court after the sentence was passed.

It said a Sudanese co-defendant was jailed for a year for taking cannabis, while a 17-year-old Emirati was ordered to undergo rehabilitation.