November 26th 2024.
According to reports, the new president of Indonesia has given the green light to transfer the remaining members of the Bali Nine drug smuggling group back to their home country of Australia. This decision was reportedly made by President Prabowo Subianto, who has agreed in principle to proceed with the transfer process. Law and Human Rights Minister Supratman Andi Atgas confirmed this, stating, "Regarding the Bali Nine, I want to reiterate that the President has agreed in principle to move forward with the transfer process."
While there is no specific timeline for when this transfer will take place, the President's agreement allows preparations to begin. For those unfamiliar, the "Bali Nine" refers to a group of nine Australians who were arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle over 8.3 kilograms of heroin out of Indonesia. The group, made up of Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, and Renae Lawrence, was caught after the Australian Federal Police alerted Indonesian authorities.
Sadly, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in 2015, while the rest of the group received life sentences. However, Renae Lawrence was able to successfully appeal her sentence, resulting in a reduced sentence of 20 years. She was released after serving 13 years in prison. Tragically, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen passed away in prison in 2018 due to stomach cancer. This leaves five members of the Bali Nine still incarcerated in Indonesia, but there is hope that they could be back in Australia by the end of the year.
It's important to note that even if the transfer does happen, it does not necessarily mean that the remaining members will be free. The details of the deal have not been disclosed, but it is expected that Indonesia will request that the smugglers continue to serve out their sentences. For the latest updates on this story and others, be sure to download the 9NEWS app. Stay informed on breaking news, sports, politics, and the weather with our convenient and easy-to-use app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
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