Lindsay Sandiford, a 69-year-old British grandmother who spent over a decade on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has been repatriated to the United Kingdom under a humanitarian transfer deal. She was flown from Bali to London on Friday, along with fellow British drug convict Shahab Shahabadi, 36.
Sandiford was sentenced to death in 2013 after Indonesian customs officers discovered cocaine worth an estimated $2.14 million hidden in a false bottom of her suitcase. She admitted the offence but claimed she was coerced by a drug syndicate that threatened her son's life. Her repatriation follows a bilateral agreement signed last month between Indonesia's senior law and human rights minister, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and British foreign minister Yvette Cooper.
Indonesia's officials cited Sandiford's serious illness and Shahabadi's mental health issues as grounds for the transfer. Matthew Downing, Britain's deputy ambassador to Indonesia, confirmed the priority upon their return would be health assessments and rehabilitation. He stated that the two would be governed by UK law and procedures after their arrival.
Indonesia, which has some of the world's toughest drug laws, has repatriated several high-profile detainees in the past year, including the last five members of the notorious 'Bali Nine' drug ring. The country has not carried out executions since 2016, but nearly 600 inmates remain on death row, including around 90 foreigners.
