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Lawyer to visit Laos jail Briton Lawyer to visit Laos jail Briton
(about 9 hours later)
A UK human rights lawyer has flown to Laos to assist a pregnant Briton who faces death by firing squad if convicted of drug smuggling.A UK human rights lawyer has flown to Laos to assist a pregnant Briton who faces death by firing squad if convicted of drug smuggling.
Prosecutors claim Samantha Orobator, 20, was in possession of 1.5lb (680g) of heroin when she was arrested at Wattay airport, Laos, in August 2008. Prosecutors say Samantha Orobator, 20, of London, was in possession of 1.5lb (680g) of heroin when she was arrested at Wattay airport, Laos, last August.
Legal charity Reprieve said its lawyer, Anna Morris, had been given permission to see Miss Orabator on Tuesday. Her trial has been brought forward and is due to start on Monday.
It hopes to delay her trial, which was last week brought forward by a year. Legal charity Reprieve said its lawyer, Anna Morris, has been given permission to see Miss Orabator on Tuesday.
Miss Orobator, from London, had been held at Phonthong prison in the South East Asian country for many months before the British authorities learned of her arrest. Miss Orobator has been held at Phonthong prison in the east Asian country since last August. British authorities only learned of her arrest after she had spent months in jail.
She became pregnant in the prison in December and is due to give birth in September.She became pregnant in the prison in December and is due to give birth in September.
Reprieve said authorities in Laos announced on Thursday that Miss Orobator's trial would be brought forward to next week - a year early. Reprieve says authorities in Laos have brought the trial forward a year to avoid her having proper legal representation.
It believes the decision to move the trial was only taken after arrangements were made for her to see a lawyer for the first time. 'Show trial' claim
Legal system Reprieve says the decision to reschedule the trial was only taken after arrangements were made for her to see a lawyer for the first time.
Ms Morris said she was due to meet British consular officials on Monday. She said she understood the legal system in Laos meant defendants were only able to see lawyers a week before, or even on the day their trials began. The charity said she managed to make contact with their London office on Sunday and said she had been told the trial would start on Monday morning.
British officials had only been able to visit her for a period of around 20 minutes once a month, she said. Reprieve director Clive Stafford Smith said: "This whole process is a farce. The trial is just being put on as a show. They wanted to get it all over with before she was able to see a British lawyer."
She is five months pregnant, without ever having met a lawyer, facing a show trial for her life Clive Stafford Smith
He said Ms Morris and British consular officials were still hoping to be able to meet Ms Orobator before court proceedings began.
Mr Stafford Smith said of the pregnant Briton: "There can hardly be a circumstance where scheduling a capital trial is less appropriate."
British officials had only been able to visit her for a period of around 20 minutes once a month.
There is no British Embassy in Laos and the nearest is in the Thai capital, Bangkok. The Foreign Office only learned of her arrest when Australian authorities passed on information from another prison inmate.There is no British Embassy in Laos and the nearest is in the Thai capital, Bangkok. The Foreign Office only learned of her arrest when Australian authorities passed on information from another prison inmate.
Miss Orobator was born in Nigeria but lived in south London from the age of eight. Her father lives in Nigeria and her mother and three sisters live in Ireland. Miss Orobator was born in Nigeria and lived in south London from the age of eight. Her father lives in Nigeria and her mother and three sisters live in the Irish Republic.
She had been on holiday in Thailand and the Netherlands before travelling to Laos.She had been on holiday in Thailand and the Netherlands before travelling to Laos.
Her mother Jane Orobator said she was "so scared" about her daughter's situation.
Jane Orobator says she is scared about her daughter's situation
"I'm just appealing to the British government, to the Laos authorities, to just please release her. They should just bring her back to me."
Mrs Orobator added that she has no idea why her daughter was in Laos.
Mrs Orobator last heard from her daughter in July, when she was on holiday in Holland.
"Our plan was that she would then come here on her holidays so we were all waiting for her, only to hear she is somewhere between Bangkok and Cambodia," she said.
"This is her first trip outside UK and Ireland."
In Laos, anyone caught with more than 1lb (500g) of heroin faces a mandatory death sentence.In Laos, anyone caught with more than 1lb (500g) of heroin faces a mandatory death sentence.
At least 39 people have been sentenced to death in Laos since 2003.At least 39 people have been sentenced to death in Laos since 2003.