Czech Model Challenges Conviction In Drug Smuggling Case

A Czech model convicted for attempting to smuggle heroin from Pakistan to Abu Dhabi challenged her sentence in the Lahore High Court on Tuesday.

An additional district and sessions court in Lahore on March 20 had sentenced Tereza Hluskova to eight years and eight months in jail and fined her Rs 113,000 after she was arrested in 2018 on charges of carrying eight and a half kg of heroin from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport.

In her appeal filed before the High Court through her lawyer, Ms Hluskova requested that the ruling of the sessions court be set aside as it negated the true facts of the case, Geo News reported.

The 21-year old model said she was innocent and had come to Pakistan on a three-month family visit visa for Islamic studies.

During the hearing in March, Additional Sessions Judge Shehzad Raza had pronounced her guilty and handed her an eight year and eight months prison term. The hearing was also attended by the Deputy Secretary of the Czech Embassy.

The court in its verdict had said the prosecution was successful in confirming Ms Hluskova guilty of smuggling heroin and that she had failed to prove her innocence.

The court had also said she had the right to appeal her sentence.