Free Ashley Oosthuizen: Sentence reduced, family clings to hope

Breaking News Update

GEORGE NEWS - A glimmer of hope has emerged for Ashley Oosthuizen (26), the young woman from George who has spent the past four years in a Thai prison on drug-related charges.

Ashley’s sentence has officially been reduced from 33.4 years to 13.4 years after her charges were downgraded from international drug smuggling to possession.

Her mother, Lynn Blignaut, shared the news during a live Facebook update from Thailand, where she has been living since 2022 to support her daughter.

With 8.7 years remaining, Ashley now qualifies for a royal pardon – a decision that could be announced as early as July, if final court documents are received in time.

Ashley, who was originally handed the death penalty in 2020 after unknowingly accepting a package containing MDMA, has maintained her innocence.

Her former boyfriend Tristan Nettles, later confessed online to being part of a drug ring, insisting Ashley did not know about his activities.

In this week’s George Herald and online, read more about Ashley’s emotional journey, her recent move within the prison, and her family’s call for her to be extradited to South Africa.

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