UK Grandmother on Indonesia Death Row Returns to London
Two British drug convicts, including a grandmother who spent over a decade on death row in Indonesia, have returned to the UK.
Background of the Convicts
- Lindsay Sandiford, 69, was sentenced to death in 2013 on Bali for smuggling cocaine valued at $2.14 million.
- Shahab Shahabadi, 36, was serving a life sentence for drug offenses after being arrested in 2014.
Release and Transfer Details
Indonesia, known for strict drug laws, released more than half a dozen high-profile detainees this past year. Sandiford and Shahabadi were freed on humanitarian grounds and flown to the UK via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight, confirmed by Indonesia's law and human rights ministry.
Arrival in the UK
Sandiford arrived at Heathrow Terminal 4 in a wheelchair accompanied by security personnel. She did not speak and covered her face with her jacket.
"Two British nationals who were detained in Indonesia have now returned to the UK," said a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office.
Official Statement from Indonesia
"The pair's detention will be moved to the United Kingdom," said Indonesian official I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram during a ceremony at Bali's Kerobokan jail.
Indonesia continues to enforce tough drug laws but shows signs of easing sentences for some foreign prisoners.
Author's summary: Two British drug convicts, including a grandmother on death row, were repatriated from Indonesia to the UK under a prisoner transfer agreement and humanitarian grounds.