Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Phnom Penh - The Cambodian Court of Appeal on Monday upheld a 13-year jail term for an Australian teenager convicted of drug trafficking last year.
The appeals court found that the sentence handed down by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to Gordon Vuong, 17, of Sydney was not excessive and properly took into account his age at the time of the offence.
Vuong was arrested at Phnom Penh International Airport in January 2005 with 2.1 kilograms of heroin strapped to his body. His lawyer Suy Chhunhak had argued that the sentence was too heavy for such a young person.
In a prison interview last year, Vuong did not deny his guilt but said he had been forced into muling the drug after a drug ring threatened to harm his family if he refused. He described conditions in Phnom Penh's Prey Sar prison, where he is being held, as grim.
Chhunhak said Monday that he was still not persuaded that his client deserved such a heavy sentence under Cambodian law.
Australia and Cambodia, however, were expected to sign a prisoner exchange agreement when Prime Minister Hun Sen visits next month, which might mean Vuong would be able to serve out the remainder of his sentence in Australia.
Chhunhak said budget restraints prevented Vuong from being present in court Monday to hear the result of his appeal.
The appeals court found that the sentence handed down by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to Gordon Vuong, 17, of Sydney was not excessive and properly took into account his age at the time of the offence.
Vuong was arrested at Phnom Penh International Airport in January 2005 with 2.1 kilograms of heroin strapped to his body. His lawyer Suy Chhunhak had argued that the sentence was too heavy for such a young person.
In a prison interview last year, Vuong did not deny his guilt but said he had been forced into muling the drug after a drug ring threatened to harm his family if he refused. He described conditions in Phnom Penh's Prey Sar prison, where he is being held, as grim.
Chhunhak said Monday that he was still not persuaded that his client deserved such a heavy sentence under Cambodian law.
Australia and Cambodia, however, were expected to sign a prisoner exchange agreement when Prime Minister Hun Sen visits next month, which might mean Vuong would be able to serve out the remainder of his sentence in Australia.
Chhunhak said budget restraints prevented Vuong from being present in court Monday to hear the result of his appeal.
No comments:
Post a Comment