KUALA LUMPUR: An Australian woman arrested and charged with drug trafficking in Malaysia is reportedly suffering from severe depression and her lawyers have accused police of human rights violations. Lawyers for Emma Louise L'Aiguille said that the woman has had her medication withheld from her and was physically assaulted when arrested for allegedly trafficking methamphetamine. The Melbourne nurse faces a mandatory death penalty by hanging if convicted. Her health situation could become an issue, lawyers and human rights activists in Malaysia told Bikyamasr.com. “We could hardly get much information, especially because of her depression. She kept on breaking down. She was crying more than uttering any words. She is completely depressed,” L'Aiguille's lawyer Mohammad Shafee told Australia's ABC. “Because she just does not understand how this can happen to her when all she did was to be in the car in the company of some people. “She has no clue whatsoever about the drugs,” he added. Adding to the controversy, Shafee said police physically assaulted the Australian woman when they were arresting her. “On the day of the arrest, upon arrival at the police station, she was assaulted in the form of a very hard slap by a gentleman police officer, an Indian gentleman, that's all she could see,” he added. She was arrested with a Nigerian man on suspicion of attempting to sell over one kilogram of methamphetamine. Police officials told Bikyamasr.com on Saturday that the couple was arrested after police became suspicious of their vehicle and approached them, only to discover the drugs in the car.
