DENPASAR, May 27: A young Australian woman was on Friday jailed for 20 years for smuggling drugs into Indonesia, prompting her country’s prime minister to appeal for calm among her outraged supporters at home. Judge Linton Sirait said Schapelle Corby, 27, was guilty of carrying 4.1 kilograms of marijuana onto the resort island of Bali last October despite her claims that a smuggling ring stowed it in her surfboard bag.

The student beautician burst into tears as Sirait said her crime had been “legally and convincingly” proven. She hugged her father and mother after the verdict, smiling weakly and repeatedly reassuring them: “It’s okay, it’s okay”. Her case has generated huge sympathy in Australia, where polls showed most people were convinced of her innocence.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who has been accused of not doing enough to help Corby, called on his countrymen to respect the verdict. —AFP