Irish prisoner seeks to leave Ecuador

An Irish mother of two who was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in Ecuador for alleged drug smuggling is seeking to be repatriated back to Ireland, where she may have to complete her sentence.

Dubliner Róisín Zoe Savage (30) is to meet a representative from the Irish consular service in Ecuador tomorrow in an attempt to further her application, which has been made possible by Ecuador's decision last month to sign up to an international convention on the repatriation of foreign inmates.

The provisions of the Strasbourg Convention will not take effect until November 1st.

However, Fianna Fáil TD Pat Carey, who is involved in the campaign to bring Ms Savage home, said he had been speaking to her yesterday and she believed she could be repatriated as soon as next month.

"If she is going to be repatriated, we want to be sure of her safety in the interim because the situation is very volatile over there," Mr Carey said.

Ms Savage, a freelance journalist who had been living in London with her husband and two adopted children, claims to have had drugs planted on her during a visit to Ecuador in February 2003 by a friend.

On leaving the country, the man gave her a haversack purportedly containing presents for her family. But when it was searched at Quito airport, 2.6kg of cocaine was discovered in the lining.

Speaking to RTÉ radio from El Inca prison in Quito, she said conditions were "very tough", adding she had to pay prison officers for basics such as food and a bed.

Ms Savage, who has only one kidney, and requires regular medication, said she was particularly concerned to be home to see her mother, who was "very sick" with a brain tumour.