Retrial for drugs case
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• Peter Hobbs and John Mills, the London drivers serving seven-and-a-half years in Bulgaria for drug smuggling, have been successful in their appeal to the Bulgarian Supreme Court to have the case reheard.
The Supreme Court's decision to throw the case back for retrial was made because of the "large number of omissions and breaches in procedure recorded" says Fair Trials Abroad's Steven Jakobi. It followed a three-hour hearing on 18 November 1996.
Jakobi takes this as evidence that the lower court did not do its job properly—and is worried because the case has simply been referred back to the same court. He also believes that because of this, together with the turbulent situation in Bulgaria, the Foreign Office should be making more strenuous efforts to get the pair out.
The drivers were convicted last February of smuggling 20.5kg of heroin worth nearly £650,000. They have always maintained their innocence.
Peter Hobbs' brother in law, Paul Hobbs, is pleased with the decision but fears the best they can hope for is a reduction in sentence. He says: "This is the last throw of the dice so it's got to be a good roll."