Pregnant Woman Wins Extradition Appeal

As a result of prison conditions in Argentina a woman due to give birth in May has avoided being extradited to face dugs charges.

Arrested in Buenos Aires in 2007 while carrying over 6kg of cocaine, Lucy Wright, successfully argued at the High Court that being extradited would breach her human rights.

Her successful appeal is a rare example of the courts blocking an extradition.

Wright was detained as she was about to board a flight to the UK, she was bailed before trail but subsequently fled to Brazil and fro there back to the UK.

She was arrested in 2009 at the request of the Argentine authorities and taken to court in London to face extradition on the original drugs charge. A judge approved the application, but Ms Wright appealed.

Alun Jones QC, defending Ms Wright, said she could be held for more than two years before trial in Argentina and could expect to serve a sentence in inhuman and degrading prison conditions.

The High Court also heard that Ms Wright had planned to challenge the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for failing to investigate or charge her. Her lawyers said that she had been offering for three years to plead guilty to drugs offences in the UK.

"The appellant, who wishes to be tried in this country, has stated first that she admits she would plead guilty to a charge of attempting to import cocaine into the United Kingdom if charged in this jurisdiction, and/or being a party to a conspiracy to import into this country the cocaine found in her possession in Buenos Aires Airport," said Mr Justice Silber.

The High Court stopped the extradition on human rights grounds, saying that Ms Wright could be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment.

(H)