UK Grandmother on Indonesia Death Row Returns to London
Two British nationals convicted of drug offenses, including a grandmother detained on Indonesia's death row for over a decade, arrived back in the UK on Friday.
Background and Sentences
Indonesia enforces some of the strictest drug laws worldwide but has recently released several high-profile prisoners. Lindsay Sandiford, aged 69, was sentenced to death in 2013 on Bali for smuggling cocaine valued at $2.14 million into the country. Alongside her, Shahab Shahabadi, 36, who was serving a life sentence for drug offenses since his 2014 arrest, was also released on humanitarian grounds.
Return Journey and Statements
- Both departed Bali on a Qatar Airways flight to London via Doha.
- Indonesia's law and human rights ministry confirmed the transfer to AFP.
- Sandiford was seen at Heathrow Terminal 4 in a wheelchair with security staff, covering her face and not speaking to the press.
"Two British nationals who were detained in Indonesia have now returned to the UK," stated a British Foreign Office spokesperson.
At a handover ceremony at Bali's Kerobokan jail, Indonesian official I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram said the detainees' "detention will be moved to the United Kingdom" under the agreement.
The transfers mark a significant move in Indonesia's approach toward foreign drug convicts and emphasize diplomatic collaboration between the two nations.
Summary: After over a decade on death row in Indonesia, two British drug convicts, including a grandmother, have been repatriated to the UK under a diplomatic agreement, reflecting changes in Indonesia’s drug policies.
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