4 more Australians sentenced to death in Indonesia By Peter Gelling International Herald Tribune
Published: September 6, 2006 JAKARTA Four Australian citizens imprisoned on the island of Bali for trafficking heroin have been sentenced to death, the Australian government confirmed Wednesday, in a surprise decision likely to raise tensions between the two countries. The four men, part of a group known as the "Bali Nine," had originally received life sentences after a local court last year found them guilty of trying to smuggle more than eight kilograms, or 17.6 pounds, of heroin through Bali to Australia. On appeal, the Bali High Court in April reduced the sentences to 20 years. But in a subsequent appeal, the Supreme Court chose to impose the death penalty. It was not immediately clear when the decision had been handed down. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said that the Bali High Court had not yet been informed of the decision. The Supreme Court upheld life sentences for two other members of the Bali Nine group. The only female among them did not appeal and is serving a 20-year term in Bali. Six of the Bali Nine now face a firing squad. Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, and Scott Rush will join Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, portrayed by the prosecution as leaders of the group in court, on death row. The latest decision is still subject to judicial review - a last-chance appeal to the Supreme Court during which new evidence can be submitted. If the sentences are upheld, the only avenue left would be a direct appeal to the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for clemency. Both the Australian Foreign Ministry and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta spent Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon trying to confirm reports of the death sentences. At a late afternoon news conference in Canberra, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the government had confirmed the reports and that Australia would appeal for clemency "at the appropriate time." Australia, which vigorously opposes the death penalty, has an informal policy of appealing for clemency for its citizens sentenced to death abroad. Yudhoyono, however, has never granted clemency to a prisoner on death row. Both Prime Minister John Howard and Downer unsuccessfully appealed for clemency to the Singaporean government last October before a Melbourne resident, Nguyen Tuong Van, was brought to the gallows. He had been convicted of smuggling heroin. Downer told reporters it was unusual that the Australian government would learn of the Supreme Court decision through the media, and not first from the Indonesian government, adding that Canberra was "as surprised as anyone" about the decision. >From the Australian government's perspective, Downer said, they would normally be notified of such decisions and would then inform the families before making a public statement. Indonesia's reluctance to inform Canberra points to the political sensitivity of sentencing Australians to death. The Australian public has closely followed the court proceedings of the Bali Nine and will likely put pressure on the government to fight for clemency. Few people dispute the guilt of the Bali Nine, as compelling evidence, including video of the men with heroin strapped to their bodies, was presented at the trial. But many feel the severity of the charges are exaggerated. Like many Asian countries, Indonesia maintains a tough policy against drug traffickers. Large billboards with pictures of guns and handcuffs in airports and on major streets in the capital remind passers-by of Indonesia's no- tolerance policy regarding narcotics. "The Supreme Court has clearly taken the view that trafficking in heroin is a profoundly grave offense," Downer said at the news conference. Further complicating relations between Jakarta and Canberra, the death sentences for three Indonesians convicted of carrying out the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, mostly Australians, were delayed last month, raising questions among Australians of a double standard. The three men are also seeking clemency. In addition, Abu Bakar Bashir, a firebrand Muslim preacher who was convicted of conspiracy in connection with the 2002 Bali bombings, was released from prison in April after serving less than 30 months. JAKARTA Four Australian citizens imprisoned on the island of Bali for trafficking heroin have been sentenced to death, the Australian government confirmed Wednesday, in a surprise decision likely to raise tensions between the two countries. The four men, part of a group known as the "Bali Nine," had originally received life sentences after a local court last year found them guilty of trying to smuggle more than eight kilograms, or 17.6 pounds, of heroin through Bali to Australia. On appeal, the Bali High Court in April reduced the sentences to 20 years. But in a subsequent appeal, the Supreme Court chose to impose the death penalty. It was not immediately clear when the decision had been handed down. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said that the Bali High Court had not yet been informed of the decision. The Supreme Court upheld life sentences for two other members of the Bali Nine group. The only female among them did not appeal and is serving a 20-year term in Bali. Six of the Bali Nine now face a firing squad. Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, and Scott Rush will join Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, portrayed by the prosecution as leaders of the group in court, on death row. The latest decision is still subject to judicial review - a last-chance appeal to the Supreme Court during which new evidence can be submitted. If the sentences are upheld, the only avenue left would be a direct appeal to the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for clemency. Both the Australian Foreign Ministry and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta spent Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon trying to confirm reports of the death sentences. At a late afternoon news conference in Canberra, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the government had confirmed the reports and that Australia would appeal for clemency "at the appropriate time." Australia, which vigorously opposes the death penalty, has an informal policy of appealing for clemency for its citizens sentenced to death abroad. Yudhoyono, however, has never granted clemency to a prisoner on death row. Both Prime Minister John Howard and Downer unsuccessfully appealed for clemency to the Singaporean government last October before a Melbourne resident, Nguyen Tuong Van, was brought to the gallows. He had been convicted of smuggling heroin. Downer told reporters it was unusual that the Australian government would learn of the Supreme Court decision through the media, and not first from the Indonesian government, adding that Canberra was "as surprised as anyone" about the decision. >From the Australian government's perspective, Downer said, they would normally be notified of such decisions and would then inform the families before making a public statement. Indonesia's reluctance to inform Canberra points to the political sensitivity of sentencing Australians to death. The Australian public has closely followed the court proceedings of the Bali Nine and will likely put pressure on the government to fight for clemency. Few people dispute the guilt of the Bali Nine, as compelling evidence, including video of the men with heroin strapped to their bodies, was presented at the trial. But many feel the severity of the charges are exaggerated. Like many Asian countries, Indonesia maintains a tough policy against drug traffickers. Large billboards with pictures of guns and handcuffs in airports and on major streets in the capital remind passers-by of Indonesia's no- tolerance policy regarding narcotics. "The Supreme Court has clearly taken the view that trafficking in heroin is a profoundly grave offense," Downer said at the news conference. Further complicating relations between Jakarta and Canberra, the death sentences for three Indonesians convicted of carrying out the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, mostly Australians, were delayed last month, raising questions among Australians of a double standard. The three men are also seeking clemency. In addition, Abu Bakar Bashir, a firebrand Muslim preacher who was convicted of conspiracy in connection with the 2002 Bali bombings, was released from prison in April after serving less than 30 months. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/06/news/drug.php Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
