End in sight for French student accused of drugs trafficking

It's the sort of thing that seems to happen all too often to young people apparently "innocently" fooled into becoming unsuspecting drugs traffickers.

While the full picture is hard to grasp, and it's difficult to know where exactly the truth lies, when the media gets hold of the story it usually makes the headlines. And the family of those languishing in a prison far away are given fresh hope of an early release of their loved ones.

Such is the case here in France of 20-year-old student, Samantha Ziegler, who is currently behind bars in a prison in Argentina awaiting trial on charges of drugs smuggling after a dream holiday turned into a nightmare.

There have been a couple of programs on national television recently highlighting her plight, and last night's prime time news on the country's public channel reported that the 20-year-old would enter a plea of guilty today, even though she continues to maintain her innocence.

The case will not go to trial, she will receive a reduced sentence and could be home within the next year.

So how did the nightmare begin? Well the facts are hard to come by, but the story goes something like this, according to Samantha's mother, Lydie.

In 2007 Samantha, along with a friend from southern France apparently "won" the trip of a lifetime to Buenos Aires after having answered three simple questions in a competition run on an Internet site.

That site no longer exists.

On arrival in the Argentinian capital, they were met by two men and given an additional €1,000 prize money, and spent the next few days enjoying themselves, "buying new clothes, eating out at restaurants every day and telling each other how lucky they had been to win such a trip," Samantha's mother told the French media.

But the dream holiday turned into the proverbial nightmare when the two young women were stopped by customs before boarding a 'plane to return home.

Inside their luggage, wrapped inside a pair of jeans, officers found 14kgs of pure cocaine.

They were arrested and charged with attempted drugs smuggling, facing a possible 15-year prison sentence if found guilty.

While Samantha has up until now continued to claim her innocence, her friend, whose name has not been made public following the wishes of her parents, agreed to sign an "abreviado" which, says Samantha's mother, while amounting to pleading guilty in Argentina is not the same apparently as admitting to the crime.

Samantha insists that the "organizers" of the competition had slipped the jeans (size large, while both women were size small) containing the drugs into the women's luggage on the way to the airport, using the excuse that they should take two taxis because they wouldn't all fit into one.

Back in France, her mother created a committee of support to secure Samantha's release. And when she flew to Buenos Aires to see her daughter in June - the first time they had seen each other since March 2007 - there was a tearful reunion, recorded by French television cameras, during which Samantha once again proclaimed her innocence.

But with the trial date set for September 16, and the possibility of a long sentence, Samantha has now decided to plead guilty and sign the abreviado.

"She's decided to sign because it's better (in Argentina) to plead guilty rather than innocent," Samantha's mother said on French television.

"If she stands trial then she risks 15 additional years in prison whereas if she signs l'abreviado she could be extradited within a year.

"It's disgusting but that's the way it is. Samantha has made her choice," she added.

The lawyer for the family, Philippe Soussi, told French television that he regretted Samantha's decision, especially as he remained convinced of her innocence. But he also added he understood her choice.

"She did it because she's frightened," he said. "She's 11,000 kms away from her home. I cannot guarantee her security. Nobody can."

On Wednesday Samantha will sign the abreviado.

It will be just a simple formality and there'll be no trial to determine the facts of the case or whether she is innocent or guilty.