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Pregnant Briton sentenced to life | Pregnant Briton sentenced to life |
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A pregnant British woman accused of smuggling heroin has been found guilty in Laos and sentenced to life in jail. | A pregnant British woman accused of smuggling heroin has been found guilty in Laos and sentenced to life in jail. |
Samantha Orobator, 20, from south London, was caught with 1.5lb (680g) of the drug at Wattay airport in the capital, Vientiane, last August. | Samantha Orobator, 20, from south London, was caught with 1.5lb (680g) of the drug at Wattay airport in the capital, Vientiane, last August. |
Her trial had been delayed while Laotian officials tried to find out how she became pregnant in prison. | Her trial had been delayed while Laotian officials tried to find out how she became pregnant in prison. |
She would have faced a mandatory death sentence, but the execution of pregnant prisoners is not allowed in Laos. | She would have faced a mandatory death sentence, but the execution of pregnant prisoners is not allowed in Laos. |
The UK has recently signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Laos, which means Ms Orobator could serve any potential sentence in a British jail. | The UK has recently signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Laos, which means Ms Orobator could serve any potential sentence in a British jail. |
Samantha Orobator has been held for nine months in Phongthong prison, where she reportedly became pregnant in December. | |
British human rights charity Reprieve has called for her to be returned to the UK before the final stages of her pregnancy. | |
A spokeswoman said before the trial: "We really want her home by 6 June. That is the first day of her third trimester and she needs to travel before then. | |
"Whether she is acquitted, pardoned or tried and convicted and serves her sentence in this country, she needs to be out of that prison by then." |