Lindsay Sandiford repatriated from Bali to UK on humanitarian grounds

Convicted British drug trafficker Lindsay Sandiford, who has spent more than a decade on death row in Indonesia, has been repatriated to the UK on humanitarian grounds following a bilateral agreement between the two countries.

Lindsay Sandiford, 69, was sentenced to death in 2013 for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth more than £1.6 million into Bali. She was transferred from Kerobokan prison on Thursday alongside fellow Briton Shahab Shahabadi, 36, who had been serving a life sentence for separate drug offences since 2014.

An Indonesian law and human rights official confirmed both prisoners left Bali on a Qatar Airways flight to London via Doha. Their detention, the official said, “will be moved to the United Kingdom,” with full responsibility for their sentences now transferred to the British government.

‘Seriously ill’ prisoner returned on humanitarian grounds

Sandiford’s case drew international attention not only for the severity of her sentence but also for her claims that she was coerced into trafficking drugs after threats were made against her son.

Indonesian customs officers arrested her in 2012 after discovering cocaine concealed in a false compartment of her suitcase. At the time, she admitted her role but said she had acted under duress from a criminal syndicate.

Both she and Shahabadi, who was detained two years later for unrelated offences, were included in a recent prisoner transfer agreement between Jakarta and London. Indonesian law minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra confirmed that the deal was finalised last month with the UK’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper.

Yusril told reporters that Lindsay Sandiford was “seriously ill,” while Shahabadi was “suffering from various serious illnesses, including mental health issues.”

Britain’s Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia, Matthew Downing, said the decision was guided by compassion.

“When they first arrive in the UK, the priority will be about their health,” he said. “They’ll undergo a full medical assessment and receive any treatment and rehabilitation they need.”

Tough drug laws, shifting diplomacy

Indonesia retains some of the harshest anti-drug laws in the world, with around 600 prisoners currently on death row, including approximately 90 foreigners. Although executions have not been carried out since 2016, Indonesia continues to impose the death penalty for drug trafficking offences.

President Prabowo Subianto’s government has begun to repatriate certain inmates under limited humanitarian arrangements, including the remaining members of the so-called Bali Nine drug ring.

Observers see this as part of a cautious softening in tone under Prabowo’s administration, reflecting growing international pressure over the country’s use of capital punishment.

The transfer also aligns with wider international protocols for prisoner repatriation, such as those set out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

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[Image Credit | International Business Times]

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