MELBOURNE, March 21 (UPI) -- In line with its longstanding opposition to the death penalty, Australia will seek clemency for a Melbourne man sentenced to death in Singapore.
The man, Nguyen Tuong Van, is appealing a death penalty sentence imposed Friday for drug trafficking, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported.
If the 23-year-old's appeal fails Australia will seek clemency, a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
Australian High Commission officials had attended the trial of Nguyen in Singapore.
Under Singapore law, anyone possessing more than 15 grams of heroin is presumed to be trafficking and must be sentenced to death.
Nguyen was arrested after Singapore airport police found a total of almost 400 grams of heroin taped to his lower back and in his backpack during a routine security check as he prepared to board a flight to Australia in December 2002.
Nguyen told the court he agreed to smuggle the drugs from Cambodia to Australia to pay off a massive debt owed by his twin brother.
If his appeal fails and clemency is denied, Nguyen would be the first Australian executed for drug trafficking since 1986, when two Australians were hanged in Malaysia.
