Australian woman accused of drug smuggling in Japan says she is innocent as trial begins

Nelson, 58, said she received the suitcase from an acquaintance of a antheral she met connected societal media and brought it from Laos to Tokyo arsenic instructed. She was expected to conscionable up with the antheral successful Japan but helium ne'er showed up, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors caput to the Chiba District Court connected the opening time of the proceedings implicit Australian national Donna Nelson for allegedly attempting to import drugs into Japan Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, successful Chiba, eastbound of Tokyo. (AP)

She was arrested connected the spot and aboriginal charged with violating the stimulants power and customs laws. She has been successful custody for astir 2 years. Monday’s proceedings comes conscionable weeks aft the caller acquittal of an 88-year-old erstwhile boxer, Iwao Hakamada, who was connected decease enactment for astir fractional a period connected wrongful execution convictions. That lawsuit rekindled concerns astir Japan’s closed-door probe processes and lengthy trials.

Nelson, successful a little connection astatine the Chiba District Court adjacent Tokyo, said she did not cognize the drugs were hidden successful the suitcase and that she was carrying them for a antheral she thought she loved. Prosecutors acknowledged the lawsuit is linked to a romance scam but accused Nelson of smuggling the drugs, claiming she knew the contents of the suitcase.

Nelson entered the courtroom escorted by a brace of uniformed guards who removed her handcuffs and a enactment astir her waist arsenic she took a spot to basal trial. She repeatedly looked toward her daughters who were seated successful the audience. It was an affectional infinitesimal for her and her household to spot each different for the archetypal clip since her travel 2 years ago. Her daughters said they judge their parent is innocent.

One of Nelson’s daughters, Kristal Hilaire, said she wants the tribunal to cognize her parent is simply a bully person. “She thought she was coming to Japan for her emotion story. She didn’t person immoderate different intentions different than that. And that’s what we request everyone to cognize and perceive astatine the tribunal this week,” Hilaire said.

The girl added that the household is “just trying to beryllium beardown due to the fact that erstwhile mum locks her eyes with us, I privation her to consciousness our spot and that she volition provender disconnected that.”

During Monday’s session, Nelson’s lawyer Rie Nishida said her lawsuit is the unfortunate of a romance scam and that she “had her spot and emotion taken vantage of.”Nishida said that customs officials’ constricted English-language quality led to mistranslations and the accusation that Nelson knew what she was carrying.