The mother of Australian lawyer Sarah Armstrong, who has been prevented from leaving Mongolia, has made an emotional plea for her daughter”s safe return home.

Yvonne Armstrong says Sarah, 32, has told her she could be involved in a corruption investigation in the country “until Christmas”.

“Get her out, just get her out,” Mrs Armstrong has pleaded to northwest Tasmanian newspaper The Advocate.

Mrs Armstrong said she had spoken with Sarah earlier this week.

“She did say, “Mum, you know this could go on until Christmas,”” Mrs Armstrong said.

Sarah Armstrong grew up in the western Tasmanian mining town of Roseberry and went to school in Burnie before completing a law degree at the University of Tasmania.

She has been based in Hong Kong for five years and is fluent in four languages.

A mining lawyer for Rio Tinto subsidiary SouthGobi Resources, Ms Armstrong was stopped at Ulaanbaatar”s airport on Friday because police wanted to quiz her about allegations of money laundering and corruption.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has said he is hopeful the matter can be resolved quickly.
“She loves her job with a passion,” Mrs Armstrong said.

But she said she didn”t imagine Sarah would want to go back to Mongolia.