Bali Nine members may return home by December.

The five members of the Bali Nine who are still imprisoned may finally be returning to their homes in Australia by December, thanks to the persistent efforts of the Albanese government. This group, most of whom were just teenagers at the time of their arrest, gained notoriety when they were caught trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia in 2005.

Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, and Martin Stephens have spent years behind bars, but a recent conversation between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto may have secured their release. The two leaders had a private discussion during the G20 Summit this week, and it is believed that a deal was reached to bring the five members back home.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones confirmed the government's consistent efforts to advocate for the Bali Nine, including conversations with former president Widodo and President Prabowo. Two of the group's leaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were transferred to the notorious prison island of Nusa Kambangan. Reflecting on their actions, Chan admitted, "When you're young, you just think you're invincible." Sukumaran also shared his regrets, saying, "Sometimes it's hard to see how a few wrong turns can lead you to such a different path."

In 2015, the two leaders were executed by firing squad after multiple appeals to save their lives were rejected. Sukumaran's brother, Chintu, tearfully recalled his last plea to the president to show mercy and spare his brother's life. Tragically, another member of the group, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, passed away from stomach cancer while in prison in 2018. The only member to see freedom was Renae Lawrence, whose sentence was commuted and returned to Australia that same year.

Now, with the potential release of the remaining five members, their families and loved ones may finally have some closure. The federal government is awaiting an official announcement from the Indonesian government before confirming the details of the agreement. If all goes according to plan, the Bali Nine will be back on Australian soil as early as next month.

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