Title: Donna Nelson Ends Appeal Against Japan Drug Conviction

Donna Nelson, a 59-year-old grandmother from Perth, has decided not to pursue further legal action against her drug smuggling conviction in Japan. Nelson was arrested in January 2023 at Narita International Airport after authorities discovered nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in her suitcase.

In December 2024, she was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of drug importing. Although the court acknowledged that Nelson was a victim of an online love scam, it ruled that she should have been more cautious about accepting the suitcase from a man she had met online, known as Kelly.

Nelson's family confirmed that she would not be appealing to Japan's Supreme Court after her appeal to the Tokyo High Court was rejected last month. Her daughter, Ashlee Charles, stated that her mother's legal team indicated the chances of success in the Supreme Court were extremely low, at just 0.3 percent. "In the end, she just thought, 'well, there's not really much of a chance,' and I guess in her appeal no new evidence was even accepted," Charles said.

During her trial, Nelson claimed she was tricked into carrying the drugs, believing the suitcase was a sample case for Kelly's fashion business. However, the court found that she had disregarded her doubts about the situation and had misrepresented the purpose of her visit to Japan, which she had labeled as a business trip.

Now, Nelson's family is focusing on the possibility of a prisoner transfer that would allow her to serve the remainder of her sentence in Western Australia. They expressed concern for her well-being, noting that she is isolated in a Japanese prison where communication with other inmates and staff is difficult.

Charles mentioned that the family must travel internationally to visit her, which adds to their challenges. The process for a prisoner transfer would require negotiations between the Australian and Japanese governments, including discussions about the length of the sentence and where it could be served.

During a meeting with the Australian Foreign Minister, the family was informed that such negotiations could take years, but they remain hopeful for a quicker resolution. "There's been a lot of firsts in Mum's case, in regards to how supportive the Australian government has been… we feel like it won't take that long, we have faith that it will be a lot sooner," Charles said.

The family is holding onto hope that Nelson will soon be closer to home to serve out her sentence.