A journalist for the Daily Mail has reportedly been detained outside of “death island” in Cilcap, central Java, because Indonesian authorities say she did not have the proper documentation for her work.
Australian Candace Sutton was allegedly covering preparations for the Bali Nine executions on a tourist visa, which would be a violation of immigration law, reports the Jakarta Post.
“We have held a Daily Mail journalist from Australia for lacking any recommendation letter from the Foreign Ministry (to carry out journalistic activities in Indonesia),” Cilacap Immigration Office communication and information head Adithia P. Barus said, as quoted by Antara on Thursday.
Sutton had been using an anonymous byline to file stories on the execution prep for Australian Bali Nine prisoners Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
According to Adithia, Sutton is being interrogated by immigration officers and could be deported depending on how the interrogation goes.
Immigration officers have been doing document checks of foreign journalists at Wijayapura Dock.
Sutton isn’t the first instance of a journalist in danger of getting deported for similar visa violations. History repeats itself as two journalists got deported last year for inappropriate visas while covering Scapelle Corby’s release. But it doesn’t stop there. Brazilian and Peruvian journalists were deported this year when trying to cover preparations for the Jan. 18 executions, according to News Corp Australia.
Photo: (L) Candace Sutton, source: Twitter, (R) officers outside of Nusakambangan prison, source: AFP
