Pregnant British woman denied UK lawyer

A pregnant British woman facing a possible death sentence in Laos, South East Asia has reportedly been refused access to a lawyer.



Samantha Orabator, 20, is charged with drug smuggling.



Human Rights Lobby group Reprieve said a planned meeting with Ms Orabator has been blocked.



The group said its worried about the punishment she would face if convicted.



But according to a Laos government spokesman her pregnancy would prevent her execution.



In Laos, anyone caught with more than one pound of heroin faces a mandatory death sentence and at least 39 people have been sentenced to death in the south-east Asian country since 2003.



However, human rights watchdog Amnesty International reported last year that no-one had been executed in Laos since 1989.