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Lawyers ‘barred’ from visiting mother-to-be facing death over drugs
Neil Millard5 May 2009
The trial of a British woman on drug trafficking charges in Laos was postponed today after claims she was denied access to a human rights lawyer sent to prepare her defence.
Samantha Orobator, 20, who is five months pregnant, was visited today by British consular official Paul Lawrence at the jail where she is being held.
Khenthong Nuanthasing, a spokesman for the Laos foreign ministry, said the trial had been postponed until next week so that an appropriate lawyer could be found to represent Ms Orobator, from Camberwell.
He claimed he was surprised that a lawyer from fair trials group Reprieve, Anna Morris, had not been able to visit Ms Orobator, but added that Laos does not execute pregnant prisoners — although he did not rule out the death penalty after she had given birth.
He said: “According to Lao law, anyone who possesses over 500 grams should be subject to death penalty. But there is another provision of criminal law ... that the death penalty will not apply to pregnant women.”
Ms Morris said: “I am deeply frustrated by the lack of access to this vulnerable young woman. We are concerned for the well-being of her unborn baby.”
Ms Orobator, who was born in Nigeria but brought up in London, is said to be living in a prison where medieval-style torture methods are used. She was arrested at Wattay Airport in August last year and is charged with trafficking 680g of heroin. She has been held in the notoriously unpleasant Phonthong prison and has never seen a lawyer. Legal experts say she may plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.
In Dublin, Ms Orobator's mother Jane, a student at Trinity College, said: “It's impossible that my daughter could have done such a thing voluntarily.”
Reader views (30)
We are missing something....she is carrying a new life that will be murdered with her regardless of the circumstances of her pregnancy...she got pregnant in prison...maybe it was alleged rape or not! For me it's about this baby who had no control of this situation. By the way I'm not an extremist (pro life etc) but I really feel that she is not being given a fair trail. We are happy in this country to give child murderers, rapists and abusers a few years as a punishment which makes my blood boil, yet this silly girl will possibly be shot for trafficking heroin...it is a crime but not punishable by death. How different we are! I understand that we should abide by other country's laws but sometimes the law's an ass!
- Sara Griffiths, Twickenham, 06/05/2009 09:18
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This reminds me of an episode from "Locked Up Abroad".
- Cm, washington, dc, 06/05/2009 08:29
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British passport holder...
let the Nigerian government sort it out.
- Stuart, maidstone, kent, 06/05/2009 00:17
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Fi speaks with common sense and compassion, missing from many of the posts here. Barbaric laws aren't neccessarily good laws, and I'm sure most of the people who have posted here, would expect to get a proper trial if they ever found themselves in a foreign country accused of a crime. we don't know the full story so at least fair justice needs to prevail. I thought the law said ' innocent until proven guilty'........
- Jc, brighton, 05/05/2009 23:52
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Listen up here.
Those who post here enjoying seeing a person destroyed should be in a zoo.
Delara, Schapelle, Samantha I have read about this week. How many more? When did the likes of Howard, London, UK stop being human, and stop feeling? You make me ashamed to be British.
- Jayne, Liverpool, 05/05/2009 23:19
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I wonder how many people on here would be so draconian and dismissive if she were their own son or daughter? I have no idea whether she is guilty or not but she's still a young woman and as a UK citizen I would like to think we fight for her and insist she gets legal representation, a chance to put her side across, and a fair trial. Oh and before I get dismissed as a bleeding heart liberal, I work in the criminal justice system in this country and am fully aware of how lax and lenient we are in comparison. However, I strongly believe that everyone is entitled to representation and a fair trial and I think it's disgusting that no one has been to see her since August last year especially since she now is pregnant and by all accounts appears to have been raped. Although it sounds like a typical scenario, none of us know the background to this allegation which is all the more reason why I hope she gets the support she needs.
- Fi, London, 05/05/2009 16:50
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Don even in this country the standard is "beyond a reasonable doubt", not "a shadow" of a doubt.
- Steven Dale, London, England, 05/05/2009 16:37
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Just to be clear according to the BBC, Ms Orabator has been seen by a British Consular official SEVEN times already and presumably they have discussed the appointment of legal representation during those visits. So why should the authorities allow a foriegn legal representative from Reprieve to visit her to prepare a case? Would we in this country allow a non UK lawyer to act within our legal system?
- Howard, London, UK, 05/05/2009 16:20
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This is the kind of punishment that ought to be dished out to criminals over here in England instead of the disgusting leniency that we get at present.
- Vivek, London, 05/05/2009 15:02
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Contrary to the opinion of various of your readers, I have been to Laos and consider it to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. It is backwards by Western standards but then that is positive from a tourist angle in the sense that you meet the people and see the sights without having to go night clubbing and/or look for the shopping mall.
- Peter Glazier, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 05/05/2009 13:56
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If she didn't do it, then she shouldn't plead guilty. but if she did, then she should face the law of the land where she committed offence.
we don't want our tax spent on getting Heroin smugglers a lighter sentance
- Barry, woking, GB, 05/05/2009 13:42
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Being British (inferring she is incapable of wrongdoing) is not a very good defence against the crimes she has been accused of! There are foreign scum that commit crimes in the UK, and, there are British scum that commit crimes overseas! Presumably, scum, whether British, or, foreign, assess the possibilities of getting caught, and, the price they will pay, against the reward they will receive if they do not. If you get caught tough, that's the chance you took, you will have plenty of time to meditate on the error of your ways. However, if your crime was committed abroad, you should not expect the British tax payer to subsidise your meditation, and, rehabilitation programme in the comfort of a British prison, which I am sure is one of the aims of publicising the story!(I am sure however that many British tax payers would be only to happy to pay for the firing squad, bullets, and, any other expenses including overtime, to any government around the world that deems that this sentence is appropriate for British citizens found guilty of drug smuggling, and, consider it money well spent!)
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London., 05/05/2009 12:50
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As a fellow British citizen we have a responsibility to get her a fair trial, we can't just write her off because a foreign country declares shes guilty.
If she is found guilty after a fair trial, without a shadow of a doubt then she will have to pay for her crime according to the laws of the land where it was committed.
- Don, Newcastle Uk, 05/05/2009 12:35
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I live in Thailand for a large part of the year and many people go to Lao to see the lakes and tunnels where the government went during the bombings and to extent a visa to remain in Thailand.
The capital Vientiane is very quite and unlike Thailand I have never seen any sign of drugs you would have to look hard to find them.
In Thailand you have to work hard to avoid them in any nightspot in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya etc.
Many backpackers go to Lao because it is still backwards compared to Thailand for example so I should think that there are drugs where they stay.
Lao is 1/3rd of the golden triangle famous for drugs with Burma and Thailand.
Its well worth a visit before mass tourism but it would best to avoid drugs.
- James, brighton uk, 05/05/2009 12:09
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I dont know if this woman is guilty or innocent, but she is a British citizen, albeit by what appears to be via an odd family background, her father is in Nigeria and her mother lives in the Republic of Ireland, therefore the government must assit her within the bounds of the law. If she was raped in prison that is terrible and must be explained, but it does not justify her release. Finally Loas will not execute her, firstly they have not carried out an execution since 1990.
- Howard, London, UK, 05/05/2009 11:34
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And Laos has the death penalty, but the very, very rarely use it. There's no chance of her being put to death.
- Jack, london, uk, 05/05/2009 11:23
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Law means law. It's not the matter she's the Queen or a pregnant woman. If only having the law but not using it, everybody will just take advantage to abuse it. Those who talk about human rights, did they ask themselves how much damage will it do to the country if those drug were brought to the UK? Obviously some people abuse the human rights that's given to them, but not in Laos!
- Okman, london, 05/05/2009 11:18
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Before today I had never heard of Laos, but I admire any nation that is committed to stamping out drug taking and associated crimes.
- Micheal, Truro, 05/05/2009 11:01
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Simon F has got it right
- George C, Aberdeen UK, 05/05/2009 10:35
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EDITED by admin @ 12pm on May 5 2009
Religious/Racial
- Dr. Jonathan Melvin Md., Phd., Dublin, Ireland., 05/05/2009 10:27
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If you cant do the time,dont do the crime.Every criminal is innocent,and if guilty she must do the time,and hopefully over there where prison is prison and not a holiday camp like here in the UK.
- David, london, 05/05/2009 10:24
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Heartless idiots....drug smugglers stick things in unsuspecting tourist bags all the time
this poor woman on top of this madness she is enduring has been submitted to rape, and is being forced to plead guilty to a crime she possibly didn’t commit just to save her and her babies life!!! I bet if she was some pretty blonde from a middle class bourgeois background all yall would be up in arms trying to get her out
- Isis, London, 05/05/2009 10:14
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EDITED by admin @ 11.59 am on May 5 2009
Court Proceedings
- Alan, East London, 05/05/2009 10:09
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Why do people even go to these places?
I lost my job once, because I refused to go to a country that I believed to be unsafe. But I'm still alive and well.
- Michael, Ramsgate, 05/05/2009 10:07
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EDITED by admin @ 11.58am on May 5 2009
Court Proceedings
- Susan Powell, worcestershire, 05/05/2009 09:59
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A fair trial is essential in this case. But the plain and simple is if she is genuinely guilty she must pay the price in accordance to the law.
Just to state I do not believe in the death penalty but I do believe in the law.
- Stuart, London, 05/05/2009 09:57
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Why oh why oh why would anyone want to go to Laos for Christs's sake?
- Olle Cuta, Noosa, Australia, 05/05/2009 09:45
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Put it this way - when you are in this part of the world and you get caught up with the types of people who deal in drugs or take drugs, then you are taking your life into your hands big time.
I might sound cold hearted but having been in the area many times you cannot even get involved with people who do drugs or you are risking your life. It is easy to enjoy yourself in Asia without doing drugs or meeting people who do them.
- Clint, London, 05/05/2009 09:28
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Smuggling heroin eh?If this is true then she deserves all she gets.I've certainly no sympathy.
- Steve, London, 05/05/2009 09:27
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If she is Innocent, I hope she get's released and sent home.
If she is guilty..They can do what they want...it's their country, and people know they risk the Death penalty!
- Simon F, Newcastle UK, 05/05/2009 09:20
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