Crowe voices support for Corby

Crowe voices support for Corby

SYDNEY: Oscar winning Gladiator star Russell Crowe has voiced support for an alleged Australian drug smuggler facing a possible death sentence in Indonesia.

Schapelle Corby, 27, was arrested in October after airport authorities found 4.1 kilograms of marijuana in her surfboard bag as she arrived on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali for a family holiday. She has maintained her innocence, claiming the drugs were planted.

Australian newspapers Friday carried front-page photos of Corby weeping in Bali as prosecutors recommended a life sentence, though the judges could still impose the maximum penalty of death if she is convicted.

"The photographs of Schapelle Corby broke my heart," Crowe said in an interview with a Sydney radio station, adding that he wanted to contact Australian Prime Minister John Howard about the case.

"The first thing I thought this morning was, like, how can I get Johnny Howard on the phone and say 'look, what are you gonna do, mate, what are you gonna do? -- that's ridiculous, what if it was your daughter?"' he said.

Howard's government has urged Indonesia not to impose a death penalty on Corby and recently signed a deal that will allow her to serve any sentence in an Australian prison if she is convicted.

Crowe said Corby should be brought back to Australia and made to stand trial in a local court. --AP