Bali’s nine members may continue their sentences in Australia – Australian Associated Press

Stating that negotiations are ongoing to send members of the Bali Nine drug trafficking gang back to Australia, the federal trade minister confirmed that these people will continue to serve their sentences and will not be released.

The Australians were arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin from the Indonesian holiday island.

The remaining five members are serving life sentences in the country for these activities.

Trade Minister Don Farrell said talks were ongoing but confirmed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was advocating on behalf of Australians.

Prisoners would continue to serve their sentences in Australia under the proposal, he told Sky News on Sunday.

“My understanding is that the proposal is not to release these people,” Senator Farrell said.

“They will continue to serve their sentences, except they will serve them in Australia.”

Australian Deputy Treasurer Stephen Jones told reporters on Saturday that Mr Albanese had raised the detainee issue in a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during the APEC Summit in Peru.

Under the agreement, Jakarta will seek the repatriation of Indonesian prisoners held in Australia, the country’s Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas told Reuters on Saturday.

Supratman stated that Jakarta does not have established procedures regarding international prisoner transfers, but will work on the issue as soon as possible, and emphasized that the other country should recognize Indonesia’s judicial process.

“This is important to maintain good relations with friendly countries, but it is also in our interest because we have detainees abroad,” he said.

Shadow attorney general Michaelia Cash called on the prime minister to give Australians more information about the deal.

“Let’s be clear in the first instance, these individuals, the Australians, were part of a heroin smuggling ring that brought over eight kilos of heroin back into Australia,” he told Sky News on Sunday.

“Drug crimes are some of the worst crimes our society has seen because of the devastating consequences they have on people, including death.”

He asked the Prime Minister to confirm how the deal was made, whether it would come at a cost to taxpayers and whether they would continue to serve their full prison sentences in Australia.

“If not, why not?” he said.

Bali Nine members Scott Rush, Matthew Norman, Si-Yi Chen, Martin Stephens and Michael Czugaj are serving life sentences in Indonesia for their involvement.

Another member of the Nine, Renae Lawrence, was released from prison in 2018, while Tan Duc Than Nguyen died of cancer the same year.

The execution of the group’s ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in 2015 caused a diplomatic rift between Australia and Indonesia.

Australia recalled its ambassador in protest.

via Reuters