Indonesia agrees to transfer remaining Bali Nine to Australia

JAKARTA - Indonesia has agreed to return to Australia the five remaining members of the so-called Bali Nine drug smuggling ring who are currently serving life sentences in the South-east Asian country, an Indonesian minister said on Nov 23.

It will also seek the repatriation of Indonesian prisoners held in Australia, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas told Reuters on Nov 23.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised the prisoner issue during a meeting with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the Apec Summit in Peru, Australian Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said in a press conference on Nov 23.

Earlier this week, Indonesia confirmed Mary Jane Veloso, a Philippine woman on death row for drug trafficking in a separate case, would be allowed to serve the rest of her sentence in her home country.

She was alone among a group of condemned convicts to receive a last-minute stay of execution in 2015 after Philippine officials asked Indonesia to let her testify against members of a human- and drug-smuggling ring. The rest, including two ringleaders of the Bali Nine, were executed by firing squad.

“This is the president’s discretion, but in principle, the president has agreed on humanitarian grounds,” Mr Supratman said.

France has also requested the repatriation of a prisoner, he said.

Jakarta has no set procedures regarding international prisoner transfer but will work on the matter as soon as possible, Mr Supratman said, stressing that the counterpart country must recognise Indonesia’s judicial process.

“This is important to maintain a good relationship with friendly countries. But this is also in our interest because we have prisoners abroad,” he said.

The Bali Nine were Australians arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin out of the Indonesian resort island.

One of the nine was released from prison in 2018. Another died of cancer the same year.

The execution of two of the group’s ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, in 2015 caused a diplomatic rupture between Australia and Indonesia. Australia recalled its ambassador in protest. REUTERS