Posted on 04/24/2005 12:38:16 PM PDT by wagglebee
A 27-year-old Australian beauty student is facing a firing-squad sentence in Indonesia for smuggling marijuana she claims was planted in her luggage.
Schapelle Corby yesterday remained sedated in her prison cell as her lawyer questioned whether she'll be mentally strong enough to take the stand in a final bid to win her freedom.
Meanwhile, Corby's plight has attracted support from Hollywood actor Russell Crowe, who says he was heartbroken by the sight of her tears on Australian newspaper front pages.
Her defense begins Thursday and Corby may make her own plea for mercy and justice.
Australian officials are said to be negotiating with Indonesia for her release to their custody where, if convicted, she could serve a prison term in her native country.
A verdict in the case is expected next month.
Bali lawyer Lily Lubis describes Corby as a "nervous wreck" who can sleep only with the help of medication.
"She's still using sedatives after the trial because she's kind of hysterical," she said.
Lubis said the defense team would ask the court to permit Corby to make a statement during its summing up next week, but only if she is strong enough.
Corby yesterday broke down and said her life was over after Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu argued that she should be found "officially and convincingly guilty" of attempting to smuggle 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali last year.
Wiswantanu said the former beauty student's actions threatened to make Bali look like a drug haven and could have destroyed the lives of thousands of young Balinese.
Lubis said there was "strong evidence" to back Corby's claim that she was the innocent stooge of a drug gang operating at Australian airports.
The defense claims that marijuana found in Corby's luggage at Denpasar airport was put there after she had boarded a flight to Bali.
While prosecutors would be satisfied with a life sentence, Corby could be executed by firing squad.
Lubis is worried that Corby is trying to suppress her grief after breaking down in a holding cell following the trial.
"She is not crying and is trying to look tough," she said.
"I prefer her to cry, to be angry, to let out her emotions, because if she keeps it inside I'm afraid she will break down or become depressed."
Lubis said Corby had been encouraged by Chief Judge Linton Sirait's efforts to soothe her yesterday by saying the prosecutor's demand did not represent the end of the legal process.
Oscar-winning actor Crowe took Prime Minister John Howard to task for not doing more to save Corby.
"The photographs of Schapelle Corby broke my heart," he said.
"The first thing I thought this morning was, like, how can I get Johnny Howard on the phone and say 'Look, what are you gonna do, mate, what are you gonna do? - that's ridiculous, what if it was your daughter?'"
Crowe said Howard should point out to Jakarta that Australia had been a generous supporter following the devastating tsunami in Aceh, pledging $1 billion in aid.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia was looking at a prisoner exchange agreement which could see Corby and 11 other Australians serving jail terms in Indonesia repatriated home to serve out their time.
He said Australia was using a similar agreement with Thailand as a model.
"Under the prisoner exchange agreement with Thailand, if there is an agreement that the prisoner be transferred then the sentence has to be served as was handed down by the court in Thailand," he said.
What I think is funny, is that if she was butt ugly, no one would care.
haha, I believe you're right.
Don't go to Indonesia.
People travel to places that are deemed "exotic." A little research into the local laws would change the minds of a lot of travelers.
How does one become a "beauty student"?
I'm sure a number of people will be happy to see her shot over some mary jane.
This should satisfy the blood lust of even the most fervent WODders!
I dunno, but she's obviously done her homework.
Fortunately, for those idiots, most countries in that region have "amnesty bins" before you get to customs/immigration.
I would never travel to any country with an Islamic majority.
This is the sort of "justice" that a lot of Freepers think is warranted. I think I'll ping them to this thread. Drugs planted in her luggage? Who cares, shoot her dead. Yeah, that's better than having some people getting stoned out of their own free will.
And the amnesty bins helps people who've had drugs planted on them how?
Indonesian Travel Advisory: If your name is Whitney Houston, please consider skipping the Indonesian leg of your next vacation. If you don't, you will be arrested and face possible execution for the Maui Waui in your purse. When you become hysterical, we will sedate you in your cell.
She is very pretty
There's a lot of them in Canada.
I'll never forget being evacuated in 1965 during the "Year of Living Dangereously" - the movie with Mel Gibson.
I remember huge billboards placed by the government around major traffic circles, saying "Kill All Americans". My father and sisters were trapped in anti-American street demonstrations in Bali, and my father had to bribe/commandeer a rattle-trap prop plane back to the main island so the Embassy could get them on that sweet Panam 707 revving its engines on a jungle airstrip waiting to haul all of us Americans out of there, as the murderous rampages happened throughout the country.
People are fooled by Bali traveling advertisements touting the place as a hip progressive travel destination, when in reality, it is very much part of primitive hate-filled Indonesia, whether Bali is considered Muslim or Hindu.
I remember the "prosecutor" of the Bali bombing, which killed hundreds of Australians, in a picture with the Bali bombing suspects, all of them smiling.
Australia should just tell Indonesia to hand over all Aussie prisoners to serve jailtime in Australia, and in consideration for this transfer, they won't lob a few JDAM's down the airshafts of Jakarta's government buildings. It's the kind of message Jakarta can appreciate, and certainly deserves.
If they're just going to kill here, can we have her.
Nice prison cell pic there. Earrings, gold neck chain, poofy thin blouse with matching bra. Hollywood couldn't have done a better job themselves. Kudos to her jailhouse publicist.
Good thing they're medicating her so she doesn't go into a depressive state before they put her in front of a firing squad.
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