Pregnant Briton 'to leave Laos'

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A pregnant Briton jailed for smuggling heroin in Laos could be returned to the UK to serve her life sentence under an agreement signed by the two countries.

Samantha Orobator, 20, from south London, was caught with 1.5lb (680g) of the drug at Wattay airport in the capital, Vientiane, last August.

Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant, who signed the deal, said he hoped she would be back in the UK within 10 days.

Another Briton held in Laos, John Watson, could also be sent back.

Obstacle

The 47-year-old is also serving a life sentence in Laos for drug smuggling after being detained in December 2003.

I've spoken to their ministers today and they're saying that they're going to deal with this as fast as they possibly can Chris BryantForeign Office minister

After signing the memorandum of agreement, Mr Bryant said: "I very much hope that with any luck Samantha will be able to return in the next week or 10 days."

He said she could only fly "for another two weeks or so" because of her pregnancy.

Mr Bryant told Sky News: "I very much hope that now that we've signed this agreement, which was the last remaining obstacle which prevented her from being transferred to a British prison, that she'll be able to do so.

"I've spoken to their ministers today and they're saying that they're going to deal with this as fast as they possibly can."

He said he was "worried about" Watson's condition, and added: "I do want to make sure that he is able to transfer at the same time as Samantha because nobody should be sitting in a prison rotting away without support from the British government."

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.

Transferred prisoners are not able to appeal through British courts.