Samantha Orobator, 20, a Briton from South London, could face a firing squad for allegedly trying to smuggle 0.68kg of heroin out of Laos. She has been in jail in the Communist country for eight months, and is said to be five months pregnant. Laos has a mandatory death penalty for anyone convicted of smuggling more than 0.5kg.
Samantha was born in Nigeria but lived with her aunt in Camberwell and Peckham from the age of eight. She left the country to travel to Ireland, the Netherlands and Thailand and is understood to have been arrested in Laos on her way back to Britain.
Anna Morris, a lawyer with the British-based human rights group Reprieve, said that the group was worried about Ms Orobator's health. It could not confirm whether she was raped in prison, and the circumstances of her pregnancy remain unclear.
"We are concerned about the effect of the uncertainty on Sam’s wellbeing ... given her age, her vulnerability, her pregnancy," Ms Morris said. "We just seek clarity from the Laos Government as soon as possible as to what exactly is going to happen so that we can advise her properly."
Phonthong prison, where she is being held, has a reputation for beatings and brutality. Cells measuring 4 sq m house up to six prisoners.
The daily ration reportedly consists of two bowls of pig-fat water soup and a bowl of sticky rice, with most prisoners relying on their families to deliver food. Prisoners have reported incidents of abuse and torture, with some inmates having their genitals burnt.
Ms Morris said: "We are working closely with the British Embassy in Thailand and are encouraging them to do whatever is necessary to put pressure on the authorities to ensure her welfare."
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