Kerobokan Prison inmates Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran from the Bali Nine are waiting for Indonesia’s new guy in office, President Joko Widodo, to make a move on their sentence.
It’s up to Jokowi to extend clemency to save the men from the death penalty, if not, the two prisoners will face the firing squad. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, who will be among Jokowi’s advisers on the case, is personally against the death penalty, reports the AAP.
The decision falls on Jokowi because his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) reportedly didn’t sign the clemency decree before exiting office. There were hopes that SBY would halt the firing squad in this case, because of his apparent attempt to maintain positive relations with Australia during his term.
The same pressure falls on Jokowi’s shoulder’s especially if he heads over to Oz later this month for the G20 summit. However, Laoly reportedly says Jokowi hasn’t gotten around to SBY’s clemency cases quite yet. Laoly has publicly taken a stance on rehabilitation programs over jail for drug users (but not traffickers).
However, Yasonna isn’t exactly championing the position against the death penalty. He’s not “pushing it” and claims he’ll respect sentences made by the courts.
Chan, 30, and Sukumaran, 33, have allegedly been making strides to rehabilitate, says their lawyer, Julian McMahon. Chan has found solace in the church while Sukumaran has turned to the prison’s art program.
The pair were part of a nine-person drug trafficking operation convicted from a 2005 attempt to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin out of Bali.
Source: AAP
Photo: AFP
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