Update on Brit, 22, facing decades in 'hellhole' Sri Lanka prison as Government warns of vile conditions
An update has been issued on a British woman who has been locked up for almost 18 gruelling months and is still facing decades behind bars in Sri Lanka.
Charlotte May Lee, a former flight attendant, was arrested after stepping off a SriLankan Airlines flight from Thailand last May.
It was alleged that she had two suitcases that were stuffed with 46kg of 'kush', a drug that's a mix of cannabis, fentanyl, tramadol and formaldehyde. The haul was said to be worth £1.2 million.
At the time, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said they were 'supporting a British woman who has been arrested in Sri Lanka and are in contact with her family and the local authorities'.
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If convicted, she could face between 20 and 25 years in prison for the alleged offences.
This is because Sri Lanka enforces strict drug laws with severe penalties ranging from heavy fines and long prison terms.
Charlotte has denied the offences and insisted she had 'no idea' the drugs were hidden inside the case and claimed they had been planted there following her trip to Bangkok.
After almost 18 months behind bars in Sri Lanka, she has now reportedly been moved to a different prison over fears for her safety.
It comes after major riots erupted at the Negombo prison, where she was originally being held earlier this year, which resulted in the deaths and serious injury of prison guards.
Two days of violence in July in the overcrowded jail left more than 100 injured and 30 dead, including guards and inmates.
Prisoners were alleged to have grabbed guards' guns during the chaos, leaving Charlotte 'traumatised', according to a close source, as the Mirror has reported she was moved to another prison in nearby Kuliyappitiya.
She previously told the BBC she had been sharing a cell with five other women and was sleeping on a thin mattress on a concrete floor, forced to use her clothes as a pillow.
"I can't compare it to anything," she said at the time. "This heat and just sitting on a concrete floor all of the time...
"I am not trying to think about it. If I think, then I feel bad. I'll still rather not process it."
Government issues guidance on 'overcrowding' in Sri Lankan prisons
The Foreign Office issues guidance to Brits facing legal action and time behind bars in Sri Lanka.
It describes conditions as 'extremely overcrowded' and says it is partially due to the lack of facilities.
"The accused spend a considerable time on remand before they are formally charged or before cases are heard," the Foreign Office guidance read.
"Conditions within prisons are difficult because of the overcrowding and the heat.
"Mosquitos are common at the prison. Mosquito‑repellent creams or oils may only be brought in or used with medical approval and official authorisation after informing staff and consulting with a prison doctor."
Topics: World News, UK News
James Holt