Pregnant Briton 'faces execution'

[LowlyPion]

A pregnant British woman faces death by firing squad if she is convicted of smuggling drugs at a trial in Laos, campaigners have said.

Prosecutors claim Samantha Orobator, 20, was in possession of 1.5lb (680g) of heroin when she was arrested at Wattay airport in Laos in August.

Legal charity Reprieve has called on the UK government to intervene with the Laotian authorities on her behalf.

The Foreign Office says it is "paying close attention to her welfare".

Miss Orobator, from London, has been held since her arrest at Phonthong prison in the south east Asian country. She became pregnant in the prison in December and is due to give birth in September.

In Laos, anyone caught with more than 1lb (500g) of heroin faces a mandatory death sentence.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8029787.stm

Will they execute her and the baby who wasn't even conceived at the time of the alleged crime?

And if acquitted, "We hope you enjoyed your stay in Laos." ?

 

[mgb_phys]

It's always the headline whenever someone white is caught smuggling drugs.
The penalty is never applied to foreigners (or even to locals) it causes too much political trouble - but it makes good headlines.
The US presumably allows the death penalty for terrorism - but you don't see the headline. "Pregnant mother at airport faces death penalty after matches confiscated "

It's tough on countries like Laos/Thailand/Malaysia/Singapore - the drugs are the west's problem (the country could make money from heroin) and there is pressure from the west to stop smuggling. But whenever someone is arrested there is a huge outcry.

 

[Math Is Hard]

It's always the headline whenever someone white is caught smuggling drugs.

Black is the new white?

 

[mgb_phys]

Should have said western - but that would have "meridian centric" !

 

[junglebeast]

"We're dealing with a woman who has clearly become pregnant in prison. Nothing that happens in that prison is voluntary".

So..it seems the child is a result of prison rape, then?

 

[rootX]

Will they execute her and the baby who wasn't even conceived at the time of the alleged crime?

I don't know where would baby go without her mother(or parents). Abortions happen all time ...

She should have well known the risk of getting pregnant. Otherwise, everyone(women) could start getting pregnant hoping that this would win the public sympathy and they would escape or will be treated more nicely.

 

[rootX]

So..it seems the child is a result of prison rape, then?

Or, that was just her plan ...

 

[dlgoff]

So..it seems the child is a result of prison rape, then?

Probably not a crime there.