British Grandmother Lindsay Sandiford Released from Indonesia Death Row
On November 6, 2025, Lindsay Sandiford, a 69-year-old British grandmother sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Bali, was repatriated to the UK. An official from Indonesia's Law and Human Rights Ministry confirmed that Sandiford and another British convict, Shahab Shahabadi, were released from prison and transferred to the airport as part of a deal for their return.
Indonesia enforces some of the strictest drug laws worldwide but has recently eased on several high-profile detainees, including a Filipina woman on death row. Shahabadi, 36, was serving a life sentence for drug offenses after his 2014 arrest and left Bali alongside Sandiford.
Background of Lindsay Sandiford's Conviction
Sandiford was arrested in 2012 when Indonesian Customs discovered cocaine worth approximately US$2.14 million concealed in a false bottom of her suitcase upon arrival in Bali. She pleaded guilty but claimed she carried the drugs under duress after a drug syndicate threatened her son's life.
“Sandiford admitted the offences but said she had agreed to carry the narcotics after a drug syndicate threatened to kill her son.”
This release marks a significant shift in Indonesia's approach to foreign convicts on death row.
Author's summary: Lindsay Sandiford, sentenced to death in Bali for drug trafficking in 2013, was repatriated to the UK as part of Indonesia’s recent policy to release foreign convicts.
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