Vietnam commutes Australian grandmother's death sentence for heroin trafficking

A 73-year-old Australian grandmother has avoided execution after Vietnam commuted her death sentence for heroin trafficking.

On Monday an appeals court in Hanoi downgraded Nguyen Thi Huong's sentence to life in prison, citing her sincere confession and age in the decision to spare her life, Vietnamnet reports.

Huong was sentenced to death in June after being convicted of trafficking 1.58kg of heroin.

In December 2014 she was arrested as she tried to board a flight to Australia.

The drugs were found hidden in 36 bars of soap in her luggage.

Huong said she was given the soap as a gift by a woman, identified only as Helen, while they were on a trip to the coastal city of Vung Tau.

She said she had wanted to take them to Australia as gifts and was unaware they contained drugs.