Pregnant Briton sees UK lawyer for the first time

Thursday, 21st May 2009

Pregnant Samantha Orobator, 20, from south London has been held in Laos on drug smuggling charges since August 2008 and the first contact with anyone outside of Laos came eight months later, when she managed to smuggle a message out.

Anna Morris from legal charity Reprieve has been in Laos and met Ms Orobator earlier this month, when Laos authorities refused to let the pregnant Brit meet with a UK Lawyer. Further speculation was rife that the trial date was going to be brought forward.

Ms Orobator was allegedly caught with 680 grams of heroin when trying to board a Bangkok-bound flight from Wattay Airport. Laos law states that anyone caught with over 500 grams is automatically handed the death sentence. “We would not sentence a pregnant woman to death,” insisted a spokesman for the Laos Government.

The meeting took place in a boardroom of a government building and members of the British embassy were present as were government officials of Laos. Ms Morris was unhappy that she was not able to have private access to Samantha where she could ask delicate questions about the case. She was also told that this was the only time the two would meet before the trial.

A date for the trial is yet to be released but Laos officials said that it would commence shortly.

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