The trial of Perth grandmother Donna Nelson will start in Japan next week after the prominent Indigenous community leader has spent more than 18 months languishing in a Tokyo prison for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into the country.
The West Australian can reveal the trial will start on Thursday with the verdict expected on July 11.
“Donna is busy preparing for the trial,” Shinjuku International Law Firm paralegal Matthew Owens said via email on Friday.
The 57-year-old Ballardong Njaki-Njaki woman was arrested at Narita Airport in Tokyo on January 4 last year after nearly 2kg of methamphetamine was allegedly found inside her suitcase.
The West Australian broke the story that the former Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service chair had been detained in Japan for several weeks and was receiving consular assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
It is understood Ms Nelson’s family has had no contact with her since the day of her arrest due to a communication ban and is only updated on the case through her legal team in Japan and the Australian Embassy.
Only Ms Nelson’s legal team, a pastor and staff from the embassy are allowed to visit her in prison.
“We certainly do miss her and want her home soon,” the family told The West in January.
Her family claims she was duped into delivering the drugs to Japan from Southeast Asia by a Nigerian man she met online.
Since being taken into custody, Ms Nelson has been subject to some of the strictest prison conditions in the world.
She is allowed out of her cell at Chiba Prison for just 30 minutes a day and can only shower once every three days.
Under Japanese law, importing illegal substances for the purpose of sale is the most serious drug crime in the country.
Ms Nelson now faces up to 20 years with The West in October revealing she had not made a plea to her drug smuggling charges.
This is despite most defendants in Japan being found guilty with the country boasting a 99.9 per cent conviction rate, but more than 80 per cent of cases are not prosecuted.
The Federal Government has provided The West with the same response to Ms Nelson’s case since her arrest.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in Japan and to her family,” a spokeswoman said earlier this year.
“DFAT and the Australian Embassy in Tokyo are focused on ensuring her welfare. Consular officials have visited the individual on a number of occasions since her detention.”
Ms Nelson’s family has been contacted for comment.