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UPDATE: Pregnant Briton To Escape Death Penalty In Laos

A British woman who had been facing possible execution in Laos will escape the death sentence because she is pregnant, a spokesman for the Laotian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The country’s criminal law prohibits courts from sentencing pregnant women to death, spokesman Khenthong Nuanthasing told CNN. The woman’s trial hasn’t been scheduled yet, he said, but is likely to happen next week.

Samantha Orobator, 20, was facing death by firing squad for drug trafficking, said Clare Algar, the executive director of Reprieve, a London-based human rights group.

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Pregnant Black Woman May Face Firing Squad in Laos, May 4, 2009

From UK Guardian:

The trial of a pregnant Briton who could face death by firing squad if she is convicted of drug smuggling is to take place tomorrow, according to a legal charity.

Samantha Orobator was arrested at Wattay Airport in Laos in August last year after she was allegedly caught with 680g of heroin. In Laos, smuggling more than 500g carries a mandatory death sentence.

Reprieve lawyer Anna Morris flew into the country today fearing the trial would start before they were allowed to meet on Tuesday.

According to the charity, Orobator was able to make contact with their office in London today and said she had been told the trial would start tomorrow morning.

Reprieve said the Laotian authorities brought the trial forward in an apparent attempt to stop lawyers from intervening. Up until now the 20-year-old from south London has had no legal representation.

Speaking from Laos, Morris said she would meet with British consular officials tomorrow.

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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Kountry_Mayne/ Kountry_Mayne

    A mandatory death sentence for smuggling heroin ? Thats just like the deal thats happening in iraq, killing their people because they dont walk a straight line or maybe dont look a certain way. Who can justify smuggling drugs carries a death sentence? They need to rethink their laws.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/6carrots/ 6carrots

    I think that, that’s just crazy death who the hell are they law writers that’s just to serious. Yes drugs are bad but damn do you get that much time if you kill their president?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Hellokitty111/ Hellokitty111

    Hmmm whats crazy is that she is pregnant and she wasn’t pregnant going into jail….so that alone should be a reason to get her out. I feel bad for her cause the country she is in they don’t play nice.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Sub-Negro/ Sub-Negro

    And you people thought USA was bad SMH!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/upstart_22/ upstart_22

    I have no remorse for this lady. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Let’s not make criminals out to be heroes, people. She obviously wasn’t thinking about her baby, being a drug dealer and smuggling drugs into a country with a very strict penalty, so why should the country of Laos care about her? Personally, I am against the death penalty, because it doesn’t deter crime (evident here), but I also don’t think the country of Laos needs to change their laws to satisfy the opinions of people in other countries (@ Kountry_Mayne). This is why other countries hate western countries like the U.S. and England — they always trying to make someone else obey their laws! Laos is its own country! Let them have their own laws for their own people! People want to cry about laws? Cry about the laws in the U.S. where defaults NEVER leave your credit report, even after 7 years and after getting back on track; how it is nearly impossible for individuals to declare bankruptcy and get a clean slate, while companies with wild spending habits get a blank check called a bailout. And other mess. Leave Laos alone; especially if they’re executing drug smugglers.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/upstart_22/ upstart_22

    But if she is found innocent via trial, then all better for her. If she is declared guilty, I have no sympathy for her, unless she was framed or something.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/stupidfatandugly/ stupidfatandugly

    now that is one hell of a deterrent against drug smuggling but she should at least have a right to a fair trial. the things people do for money.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/piccolo19/ piccolo19

    hey you can’t mess around in countries like. anytime you leave the country you have to face the reality of difeerent laws

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/shindogg/ shindogg

    f**k dem chink f****ts in laos! dey evil pieces a s**t dat needa b hanged. refusin sumbody a fair trial wit lawyeer present. i wanna send bombers ta blow up dey c**ksuckin country. i bet da drugs wuz planted on her an she prego cuz sum guard raped her. f**kin yellow t**ts shud get dey throats slit up. kill em all an conquer dey land!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/DJ_OLD_SCHOOL/ DJ_OLD_SCHOOL

    what i dont understand Laos is the biggest exporter of heroin in the world after afghanistan, i bet they dont do that to their own people! specialy when they get paid!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/WestsideCartelAtl85/ WestsideCartelAtl85

    Foreign countries are worst than the U.S. when it comes to drug laws. But that’s cruel and unusual punishment if the Laos government decides to kill her by firing squad. It’s dudes in the U.S. who get caught with coke by the ton and they get 30 yrs. or life in prison for it. But she knew what she was doing when she was smuggling that boy though.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/FEB-14-1985/ FEB-14-1985

    As an Asian Pacific Islander, I feel so ashamed and upset… I cant believe they’re gonna execute someone for drug possession?? Man, people dont realize how good they have it in a country like the USA… What kind of government structure do they have in laos??This Is the most disturbing story i’ve heard in a long time.. I’m really gonna pray that God intervenes…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/oxpro_music/ oxpro_music

    Boy things are getting hectic in the time of recession. Whoever sweet talked her into being a mule should help to save her life.

    She had to be in it for the dough. Venturing out to a Asian country to bring back 680g of SMACk.

    I pray for safe return they don’t outside the U.S. of A!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Sub-Negro/ Sub-Negro

    shindogg that is Laos not America not every country thinks the way we do with fair trials and stuff.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/reddawn1/ reddawn1

    this is f**kin nonsense,,,,, wtf?…… the death penalty for smuggling drugs?… please pray for this woman and her unborn child…. jailtime yes.. death,, hell no!!!!!!!!! go put the murdrers up there and shoot em,, not a pregnant woman , who made a bad mistake…. if they do this,, they will def have 2 answer 2 the man upstairs,, cause they’re committing murder.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/VANITY666BONET/ VANITY666BONET

    I am all for the death penalty
    this trash ruins all areas
    period
    and that lil brat is not needed in this world

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/beautiful36/ beautiful36

    thats crazy

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/C4pricorn/ C4pricorn

    lol
    u do the crime and dammit u do the time…who cares if she’s pregnant and black.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Chelsea_Green/ Chelsea_Green

    this lady was caught with possession of drugs, she claims she is innocent!

    also, she became pregnant whilst in jail which means she was most likely RAPED!

    even if she is guilty of possession of drugs why should she lose her life for it?

    i would say ‘what is the world coming to’ but then a lot worse has happened and she has been prosecuted by a ‘legal system’ in an uncivilized country.

    i just pray she does not lose her life over this.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Chelsea_Green/ Chelsea_Green

    oh and to C4pricorn….

    normally i would agree with such statements…..but doing ‘time’ is not even being put before her…its death. Death for one mistake, or worse still, Death for something she may not have been aware of!

    i recommend you think before laughing! this is happening to a real person.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Shinobi_Kokujin/ Shinobi_Kokujin

    Laos is not an uncivilized country….sounds like Western Ignorance

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/TomSlick08/ TomSlick08

    Ain’t no such thing as civilized. Most (pretty much all) countries are f**ked up in one way or another. And yes these ppl make their own rules, but duh this is bulls**t. U know this lady didn’t smuggle these drugs by her damn self. Hell she could’ve been forced, but with no legal representation their gonna eat her alive in court and make a fake ass example. When the government smuggles drugs it’s ok, but when a black female’s body does it, that b***h gotta go! That’ll send a message! S**t, it’s a wild savage world out here.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/power2daempire/ power2daempire

    that crazey how this woman is been derail i feel for her.but ppl have to realize that she not the only one under a fireing squad we as da ppl have to step up an protect each other rights.what happen to da love for humanity it seems every person out for them selfs.ppl of the internet lets try to save this human bein an maybe we can save our selfs from da fireing squad one day.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/C4pricorn/ C4pricorn

    I cant help BUT laff at this situation…if u dont have the brains to realize that this is a really BAD idea. then u are STUPID and it’s funny to me. u do not go into other countries to do illegal s**t, and then expect sympathy when they catch ur ass…thats yo ass.

    no one I know in my life is that DUMB, not even the dummies I know.

    look we all no almost anywhere in the world that the punishment for drug crimes are highly unfair…but on the flipside of that we all know that there are laws of the land that we must abide by, and if u dont then thats on u…face the consequences, PERIOD.

    the Bible says obey the laws of the land, whether we like it or not.
    it is what it is Chels…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/typeflow/ typeflow

    Somebody doesn’t watch National Geographic’s “Locked Up Aboard.”

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/sexymissmaria/ sexymissmaria

    I’m glad the woman in Laos is dodging the death penalty but I really hope they investigate her pregnancy and if there’s any evidence of rape or if she was impregnated by a guard they need to drop all charges and let her go home. If you’re in a foreign country and aren’t allowed any visitors there are so many ways you can get impregnated.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/stupidfatandugly/ stupidfatandugly

    i feel in the end she’ll be okay but no justice will be served in the sense of anyone else involved in the smuggling and if she was indeed raped.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/hersey1/ hersey1

    i’m reading all these post and every body has there own opinion so heres mine….we are all responsible for our actions… i cant have remorse for someone that made the decision to go to a country were you know what the penalty is before you do the crime… i mean if i break in your car in front of your house i know theres a chance you may come out and blow my ass off thats the chance i take 4 dat dollar.($ makes us do ignorant s**t) as for her being preg use sum common sense people aint nobody raped this broad… she knew they were gone gunsmoke her ass as soon as she got caught so she did what had to be done to manipulate the system hell wouldnt you…you cant take your ass to other countries pulling that slick s**t thinking people give a f**k bout your rights..hell if i know they shootn niggas bout dope in laos i’ll smuggle my dope thru vietnam or thailand (for the geographically challenged those are the boarding countries!!) where they just hide your ass forever! lmao just my thoughts

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/vandyv100/ vandyv100

    like what the hell so what if she had drugs don’t kill her for it just put her in jail for a while or get her help

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Hellokitty111/ Hellokitty111

    Regardless if she did the crime, she shouldn’t be put to death for it, let her do her time, but don’t kill her, some of these comments are killing me. Hello, people do have to be aware of things and laws when going into another country. I mean what about the child smuggling and selling and prostitution in those countries, worry about the little kids being put into that!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/baudbwoy/ baudbwoy

    first, dumb ass.
    second if your going to smuggle drug in Laos with the death sentence set at 500g, why not smuggle less than 500g?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/GOLDSUCCESS1/ GOLDSUCCESS1

    No doubt some man has gotten another naive young lady to do something stupid. Its epidemic. She probably had no idea that the death penalty existed for smuggling drugs. She does now. Just another dumb naive girl of 20. Lot’s of em’ around. However we are not perfect in any way, i wish we had the death penalty for rape, men who view porno, men who molest little girls and boys, get the picture guys! What would any of you say then?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Texannia/ Texannia

    I really dont think thats right death sentence. She is just a baby that is the plain to lock us all up like caged monkeys. But its not like she killed or raped someone. My heart goes out to her..

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ikidas/ ikidas

    GOLDSUCCESS1
    Is it not possible that this woman did this thing to herself…. Women always blaming men when they do the fool…How come people can’t just take the fall for their own fuc ups… And the comment about men who watch porn, come on lady, you can’t be serious…. Now putting a person to death for smuggling drugs seems a bit harsh to me and I can see arguing this especially with her being pregnant but trying to change the tone of this to be MAN’s fault is just a farce from a man hating woman… People know that negative actions often have negative repercussions but lets stop trying to throw blame… Argue keeping her alive instead of a man made her do it.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/symptomy/ symptomy

    seems the pregnancy turning into a mixed blessing

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/GhettoIndia02/ GhettoIndia02

    Death for drug trafficking??? are you serious?? Are they trying to lower the population in
    Britain?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/GhettoIndia02/ GhettoIndia02

    Oh..Laos

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/SYNCEREG/ SYNCEREG

    Yea man other countries dont play that drug s**t . I forget the chicks name but one got life because they found weed in here bag at the airport

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Tasty194/ Tasty194

    UH OF COURSE THEY CAN’T GIVE HER THE DEATH PENALTY IF SHE’S PREGNANT! WHAT THE HELL! BUT THEN AGAIN SHE IS A BLACK WOMAN IN BRITAIN! SAD! IF THEY KILL HER NOW, THAT’S MURDER TO AN UNBORN CHILD!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Tasty194/ Tasty194

    I AGREE GHETTO THEY MUST BE TRYING TO LOWER THE POPULATION! LOL SICK!

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