Invitation to Parliamentary meeting: All Party Parliamentary Group for the abolition of the death penalty

RE: Samantha Orobator, pregnant British woman on trial in Laos
Date: 10.30am, Wednesday 13th May
Place: Room W1, Parliament (St Stephen’s Gate), Westminster

The APPG will discuss the case of Samantha Orobator, the 20 year-old pregnant British national in Phongthong Prison, Laos. Reprieve has been notified that Samantha’s trial will be held on Tuesday 12th or Wednesday 13th May 2009.

The meeting will highlight key issues in the case, and develop strategy for ensuring due process for British nationals facing the death penalty abroad.

Speakers:

(1) Anna Morris, Reprieve lawyer in Laos, reports via videolink on the trial.

(2) Mary Canham, psychologist, on mental health concerns for Samantha.

(3) Amnesty International on prison conditions in Laos and pregnancy.

(4) Clare Algar, Executive Director of Reprieve, on how best to assist Samantha and others in her predicament.

(5) Ronke Oseni, lifelong friend of Samantha’s, on her personal situation.

Reprieve also hopes that Harriet Harman, Samantha Orobator’s MP, may be available to talk about the British government’s action on the case.

The meeting is open to press and the public and may be filmed. Please notify katherine.oshea@reprieve.org.uk if you would like to attend.

For more information please contact Katherine O’Shea at Reprieve’s Press Office katherine.oshea@reprieve.org.uk 020 7427 1099/ 07931592674.

Notes for Editors:

Reprieve, a legal action charity, uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantánamo Bay. Reprieve investigates, litigates and educates, working on the frontline, to provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves. Reprieve promotes the rule of law around the world, securing each person’s right to a fair trial and saving lives. Clive Stafford Smith is the founder of Reprieve and has spent 25 years working on behalf of people facing the death penalty in the USA.

Reprieve’s current casework involves representing 33 prisoners in the US prison at Guantánamo Bay, working on behalf of prisoners facing the death penalty, and conducting ongoing investigations into the rendition and the secret detention of ‘ghost prisoners’ in the so-called ‘war on terror.’

Reprieve
PO Box 52742
London EC4P 4WS
Tel: 020 7353 4640
Fax: 020 7353 4641
Email: info@reprieve.org.uk
Website: www.reprieve.org.uk

Reprieve is a charitable company limited by guarantee; Registered Charity No. 1114900 Registered Company No. 5777831 (England) Registered Office 2-6 Cannon Street London EC4M 6YH; Chair: Lord Bingham; Patrons: Alan Bennett, Julie Christie, Martha Lane Fox, Gordon Roddick, Jon Snow, Marina Warner