Rachel
06-13-2007, 10:59 PM
Australian Justice Minister David Johnston will take the unusual step of appealing to Australian national Labor Party MPs to pressure fellow party members in West Australia to overturn a state decision that has left a Perth woman stuck in a Thai prison.
The move follows the refusal of West Australia's (WA) Correctional Services Minister Margaret Quirk to allow convicted heroin trafficker Holly Deane-Johns to return to Perth to serve out her sentence under a prisoner transfer deal.
The WA decision contrasts with South Australia’s recent acceptance from Guantanamo Bay of convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks.
Thailand sentenced Deane-Johns to 31 years jail in 2003 for trying to send 10.4 grammes of heroin back to Australia. She had previously served a six-year jail term for drug offences in WA.
Full Story - Bangkok Post (http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=119431)
The move follows the refusal of West Australia's (WA) Correctional Services Minister Margaret Quirk to allow convicted heroin trafficker Holly Deane-Johns to return to Perth to serve out her sentence under a prisoner transfer deal.
The WA decision contrasts with South Australia’s recent acceptance from Guantanamo Bay of convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks.
Thailand sentenced Deane-Johns to 31 years jail in 2003 for trying to send 10.4 grammes of heroin back to Australia. She had previously served a six-year jail term for drug offences in WA.
Full Story - Bangkok Post (http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=119431)