British Grandmother Lindsay Sandiford Leaves Indonesia Death Row
On November 6, 2025, two British drug convicts, including grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, were released from a Bali jail as part of a repatriation agreement, an Indonesian official told AFP. Indonesia enforces some of the toughest drug laws globally but has recently allowed the release of several high-profile detainees, including a Filipina mother on death row.
Details of the Convicts
- Lindsay Sandiford, 69, was sentenced to death in Bali in 2013 after being convicted of drug trafficking.
- Shahab Shahabadi, 36, jailed for life for drug offenses since his arrest in 2014, was repatriated alongside Sandiford.
Background of Lindsay Sandiford’s Conviction
Sandiford was arrested after Customs officers discovered cocaine valued at approximately US$2.14 million hidden in a false bottom of her suitcase upon her arrival in Bali in 2012. She admitted to the offenses but claimed she agreed to carry the drugs after receiving threats against her son from a drug syndicate.
"She will be repatriated along with Shahab Shahabadi, 36, who was serving a life sentence for drug offences after his arrest in 2014."
"Sandiford admitted the offences but said she had agreed to carry the narcotics after a drug syndicate threatened to kill her son."
Official Statement
The convicts were transferred from prison to the airport for their repatriation, confirmed I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram from Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Ministry.
Author's summary: Lindsay Sandiford, a British grandmother on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, was repatriated in 2025 alongside another convict, reflecting Indonesia's cautious easing in high-profile drug cases.