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Heather Augustyn was returning to the United Arab Emirates to resume teaching at an Abu Dhabi private school when she was stopped by security.

Guards searched her bags and found a small amount of marijuana, no more than some "loose flakes," in her backpack, Augustyn's mother Joanne told BuzzFeed News.

The 27-year-old teacher was arrested and eventually ended up at Al Wathba Prison, a facility notorious for its harsh conditions and overcrowding.

Joanne Augustyn also said her daughter was asked to sign a statement in Arabic that detailed her actions, and that she was not provided a translator. When she refused to sign the document, "the policewoman put the pen in her hand and pretty much made her sign it."