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| Pregnant Briton sentenced to life | Pregnant Briton sentenced to life |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Her trial had been delayed while Laotian officials tried to find out how she became pregnant in prison. | |
| Pregnant in prison | Pregnant in prison |
| The court took only three hours to reach its verdict, and during questioning by the prosecution and the three judges, Orobator admitted to carrying more than half a kilogram of heroin in an effort to try and take it out of the country to Australia. | The court took only three hours to reach its verdict, and during questioning by the prosecution and the three judges, Orobator admitted to carrying more than half a kilogram of heroin in an effort to try and take it out of the country to Australia. |
| Orobator's mother was in court. She did not say anything; nor did Orobator as she was taken back to prison. | Orobator's mother was in court. She did not say anything; nor did Orobator as she was taken back to prison. |
| Ronke Oseni, a friend of Orobator's, said she could hardly imagine what her friend was going through. | Ronke Oseni, a friend of Orobator's, said she could hardly imagine what her friend was going through. |
| Transferred prisoners are not able to appeal through British courts | Transferred prisoners are not able to appeal through British courts |
| She told the BBC: "[It's] a possibility that she may come to serve her sentence here, but if that doesn't take place... I mean, life in Laos, and living in those conditions for the rest of your life..." | She told the BBC: "[It's] a possibility that she may come to serve her sentence here, but if that doesn't take place... I mean, life in Laos, and living in those conditions for the rest of your life..." |
| Daniel Painter, from the British Embassy in Thailand, attended the trial. He was asked if the proceedings had been fair. | Daniel Painter, from the British Embassy in Thailand, attended the trial. He was asked if the proceedings had been fair. |
| He told the BBC: ''We don't comment or interfere in the judicial proceedings of other countries. If Samantha has concerns about fair trial issues then we can take those up with the Laos government.'' | He told the BBC: ''We don't comment or interfere in the judicial proceedings of other countries. If Samantha has concerns about fair trial issues then we can take those up with the Laos government.'' |
| The UK has recently signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Laos, which means Orobator could serve any potential sentence in a British jail. British officials have applied to see her to ask what she wants to do next. | The UK has recently signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Laos, which means Orobator could serve any potential sentence in a British jail. British officials have applied to see her to ask what she wants to do next. |
| She has 21 days to appeal against the sentence. If she applies for a transfer, she may see out much if not all of her sentence in the UK. | She has 21 days to appeal against the sentence. If she applies for a transfer, she may see out much if not all of her sentence in the UK. |
| The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that British authorities would enforce any sentence imposed by a foreign court, although British release arrangements would be applied. | The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that British authorities would enforce any sentence imposed by a foreign court, although British release arrangements would be applied. |
| Once a prisoner is transferred to the UK, the High Court is asked to set a minimum period that they would have to serve before being considered for parole. | |
| FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service | |
| Transferred prisoners are not able to appeal through British courts. | Transferred prisoners are not able to appeal through British courts. |
| An FCO spokesman said officials would soon be in touch with her to discuss what she wants to do next. | An FCO spokesman said officials would soon be in touch with her to discuss what she wants to do next. |
| The spokesman told the BBC: "We will be discussing with Samantha if she wants to apply for a transfer. There is a prisoner transfer agreement; it will be up to her." | The spokesman told the BBC: "We will be discussing with Samantha if she wants to apply for a transfer. There is a prisoner transfer agreement; it will be up to her." |
| He said he was unable to say whether Orobator would be transferred back to the UK before the start of the third trimester of her pregnancy on 6 June - as has been called for by British human rights charity Reprieve. | He said he was unable to say whether Orobator would be transferred back to the UK before the start of the third trimester of her pregnancy on 6 June - as has been called for by British human rights charity Reprieve. |
| Orobator has been held for nine months in Phongthong prison, where she reportedly became pregnant in December. | Orobator has been held for nine months in Phongthong prison, where she reportedly became pregnant in December. |
| In response to the verdict, a Reprieve spokeswoman told the BBC: "We're relieved that she's had her trial and we are keen that the British government brings her home to the UK. | In response to the verdict, a Reprieve spokeswoman told the BBC: "We're relieved that she's had her trial and we are keen that the British government brings her home to the UK. |
| "Above all we're concerned about her health and the health of her unborn child." | "Above all we're concerned about her health and the health of her unborn child." |
| The spokeswoman added that she hoped the transfer would happen in about two weeks. | The spokeswoman added that she hoped the transfer would happen in about two weeks. |
| "There's no real reason for delay," she said. | "There's no real reason for delay," she said. |