The Federal Government says it is “keenly aware” Perth grandmother Donna Nelson has been languishing in a Japanese prison for more than 18 months on drug charges as her family waits for a new trial date.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Albanese Government was doing all it could to help with the release of the prominent Indigenous community leader so she could return home to WA.
It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to always stand up for citizens in trouble overseas on the night WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange touched down on Australian soil.
“I’m keenly aware of Ms Nelson’s case. We are engaging with Ms Nelson and we will continue to make representations to the Japanese government,” Senator Wong told Network Ten on Thursday.
![Donna Nelson, centre, with her family.](https://timesofsydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/9bcc756cd5453bd28c642b05c63132ed5b88d00b.jpg)
![Daughter Kristal Nelson.](https://timesofsydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/9bb1b6270ae12754ca80c265e74b0429a5e28a74.jpg)
“The trial has been deferred for a range of reasons. But I would say we will continue to make representations about her welfare and about the legal proceedings.”
Ms Nelson was due to face trial on Thursday with the verdict expected on July 11 but at the eleventh hour, the prosecution introduced new evidence, delaying the proceedings for possibly another six months.
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.
Her family claims she was duped into delivering the drugs to Japan from Southeast Asia by a Nigerian man she met online.
The West 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.
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.
![Japan Chiba Prison.](https://timesofsydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/90ee2209aa6ce3294690905b46cc5f0aa4933c20.jpg)
![Japan Chiba Prison.](https://timesofsydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/45ae712205b911d44b2e4369b1688ad11d235e7a.jpg)
![Japan Chiba Prison.](https://timesofsydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/6ca1c3bca00fd5e3ca267715837c014b020494f7.jpg)
The Commonwealth has been criticised for not doing enough to intervene in Ms Nelson’s case.
Human rights advocate Martin Hodgson previously told The West Ms Nelson was a “victim of a failed policy for decades” and argued the Government had to do more to fulfil its constitutional right to provide support to its citizens.
The Prime Minister on Wednesday said the Australian Government “stands up for Australian citizens — that’s what we do”.
“I believe in standing up for Australian citizens, and I make that very clear. I made it clear from the beginning,” Mr Albanese said.
Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Thursday said the Australian Government should help out any citizen who got in a pickle overseas.
“It doesn’t matter which Australian citizen finds themselves in difficulty abroad, the responsibility is for any Government is to deal with as a consular case,” the former Prime Minister said.
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 in jail.