‘Last appeal’ for Australian mum jailed in Taiwan for drug smuggling

The daughter of an Australian woman serving a 15-year prison sentence in Taiwan for drug smuggling has made a desperate plea for help.

Debbie Voulgaris was arrested at Taoyuan International Airport, about an hour west of the capital, Taipei, in late 2023 on drug smuggling charges.

The 58-year-old mother-of-five has since been given a glimmer of hope, with her daughter Maria revealing on social media a retrial was just weeks away.

It comes as Ms Voulgaris‘ daughter is calling on the federal government to raise her mother’s case with Taiwanese authorities after two birthdays behind bars.

The parliamentary petition calls on authorities to “advocate for clemency, humanitarian consideration, and further investigation into the circumstances of her sentencing”.

“Debbie Voulgaris is an Australian citizen who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Taiwan after being deceived and set-up by people she trusted,” the petition claims.

“She has maintained that she did not knowingly commit any crime and has co-operated fully with authorities.

“Debbie is a kind, trusting, and selfless person who made the mistake of trusting the wrong people.

“She now bears the full weight of a crime that others were responsible for.

“Her situation has sparked widespread public concern in Australia, with thousands of people calling for justice and compassion.”

The petition so far has 302 signatures, and comes after a separate Change.org petition by Ms Voulgaris‘ which garnered more than 13,000 signatures.

For Ms Voulgaris, who manages the Voice for Debbie social media pages which all awareness to her mother’s plight, there is significant urgency.

“With her last appeal approaching, this is now her last chance to appeal. Her last hope and ours,” Ms Voulgaris said.

“She spent nearly a year facing the death penalty. She lived in fear every single day, not knowing whether she would live or die to see her children again.

“It’s up to us, her children, and to those left listening and reading, to be her voice in Australia.”

Ms Voulgaris said that despite the situation, her and her siblings “absolutely love Taiwan” and that their fight was not with the island nation.

“This is about my mum, an innocent woman who deserves to come home to her children and not be oceans away,” she said.

“I am simply asking for her voice to be heard, for her story to be seen with open hearts and minds.”

The parliamentary petition will close on October 1. It is only available to Australian citizens, and will be formally presented to the Australian parliament.