A 23-year-old British TikToker and influencer has been arrested in Dubai over the killing of a 26-year-old British man she had reportedly met through Facebook, with a human rights group saying she could face the death penalty if convicted.

Brooke George, from Gravesend in Kent, is accused of fatally stabbing Bill Treeby, reportedly from Rainham, Kent, at a luxury apartment in Dubai. Her family and the London-based campaign group Detained in Dubai say she acted in self-defence after being assaulted.

According to Detained in Dubai, George used a kitchen knife during a struggle after she was punched in the face. Radha Stirling, the group’s founder and chief executive, said Dubai authorities should treat George as a possible victim of domestic violence while the case is investigated.

“She reached for a knife after being attacked and punched in the face. Authorities must treat her as a domestic violence survivor while they investigate,” Stirling said.

George was reportedly arrested at Dubai airport as she tried to board a flight back to the UK. Her family claim Treeby had taken her passport to stop her leaving the United Arab Emirates.

Her mother, Thereza George, said her daughter’s behaviour had changed during the trip. “The day before the incident, she did not seem like herself. She was quieter and not her usual happy, cheerful self, but she did not tell me why,” she said.

She added that she spoke to her daughter shortly after the incident. “When I spoke to Brooke right after the incident, she was absolutely terrified. I have never seen my daughter so frightened in my life. She was crying uncontrollably. I could see that one of her eyes was badly swollen and was beginning to close.”

“As Brooke’s mother, I am deeply concerned for her welfare. I firmly believe she was desperately trying to get home and away from whatever had happened to her,” she said.

George’s family also claim she was forced to undress in front of male officers, denied proper legal representation and struggled to understand the proceedings because of the language barrier.

Detained in Dubai said the case raises wider concerns about young women and influencers being drawn to the emirate through promises of luxury travel, paid work or romance, only to later report coercion, violence or exploitation.

Stirling said George’s allegations and any visible injuries should be investigated with the same seriousness as the case against her. The group is calling for her release on bail, access to legal representation and British consular assistance while the investigation continues.