President Mokgweetsi Masisi has pledged financial support and announced the government’s intention to appeal the death sentence of Lesedi Molapisi, a 30-year-old Motswana woman imprisoned in Bangladesh.
Molapisi was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh on January 23, 2022, after being found in possession of heroin weighing over 3.145kg.
In Bangladesh, drug possession is punishable by death, and yesterday, a Dhaka court sentenced Molapisi to death.
Addressing a press conference before his departure for the USA to attend the JCK Diamond Show, President Masisi expressed sympathy for Molapisi’s situation, stating, “I leave on a sombre note knowing that a Motswana far away is facing hardship.”
He assured that the Botswana government would provide financial assistance and pursue avenues to appeal Molapisi’s sentence, highlighting the seriousness with which her case is being taken at the highest levels of government.