Sydney Morning Herald

GPO Box 7017

Sydney NSW 2001
27
th
August 2014

Dear Editor,

Schapelles Human Rights Violated
The Schapelle Corby case is one of the most unjust cases to ever take place in a courtroom.
Schapelle Corbys rights have been violated since the day she was arrested for being in possession of
4.2 kilograms of cannabis at Ngurah Rai Airport in Indonesia on October 8, 2004. The media deceived
people into negatively judging the case, but was she in the wrong? After extensive research, it is
clear that Schapelle Corbys rights were violated under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) and the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (INCCPR).
Articles 52 and 153 of the INCCPR states that when a suspect is interrogated he must be in the
condition to speak freely without pressure. Schapelle Corby was interrogated for 9 hours after 12
hours of flying, she was in no condition to be interrogated, especially without the assistance of a
lawyer or interpreter. Do you believe that this was fair considering she could have been suffering
from the medical condition travel fatigue?
Article 11 of the UDHR states everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed
innocent until proven guilty at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
Although, on many occasions this wasnt the case. For example, the plastic bag that contained the
marijuana had been handled without gloves and was therefore not fingerprinted. Another example
is she was denied forensic testing of the drugs to determine its place of origin. This could have
determined whether or not the drugs were smuggled into her bag at the Balinese Airport. If this
right was actually conducted, Schapelle could be facing totally different consequences.
Article 177 of the INCCPR states that everyone has the right to the assistance of an interpreter if one
cannot understand or speak the language used in court. Schapelle was denied the right of an
interpreter at the preliminary interrogation in which she was interrogated by airline staff whose
English understanding and speaking wasnt established.
Schapelle Corbys human rights were violated under the UDHR and the INCCPR. This injustice has
destroyed many lives and caused people to doubt the reliability of the legal system. Something
needs to be done when an injustice like this occurs. There needs to be an organisation willing to
support people whose rights are broken, so that justice can be issued without biasness.
Sincerely,
Alison Cowan
58 Raintree Way
Townsville 4817