A British woman who has been on death row in Indonesia since 2012 for drug smuggling is set to be repatriated to the United Kingdom under a bilateral agreement between the two nations. Lindsay Sandiford, 68, was arrested at Bali's airport after authorities discovered 3.8kg of cocaine worth $2.5m hidden in the lining of her suitcase. She claimed during her trial that she was forced to carry the drugs by a gang that threatened her children.
Sandiford was sentenced to death by firing squad, a decision upheld by Indonesia's highest court in 2013. Another British prisoner, Shahab Shahabadi, 35, who has been serving a life sentence since 2014 for his involvement in an international drug trafficking network, will also be repatriated. Shahabadi had previously sent 30kg of methamphetamine powder from Iran to his partner in Jakarta.
Indonesian Minister Yusril Mahendra signed the repatriation agreement with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Tuesday. Mahendra noted that Sandiford is seriously ill and has been examined by a doctor from the British consulate in Bali. The transfer will proceed once both countries complete technical and administrative steps.
Indonesia, under President Prabowo Subianto's administration, has repatriated several foreign prisoners, including a Filipina on death row for drugs and five Australians convicted of heroin trafficking. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that Indonesia is a major drug smuggling hub, despite its strict drug laws, partly due to international syndicates targeting its young population. Approximately 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including nearly 100 foreigners.
