Indonesia to Repatriate British Woman on Death Row

Indonesia is set to sign an agreement on Tuesday to repatriate two British nationals, including a grandmother, who are currently on death row for drug-related offences, an Indonesian government source told AFP.

“The practical arrangement will be signed today. The transfer will be done immediately after the technical side of the transfer is agreed,” the source said, identifying 68-year-old Lindsay Sandiford and 35-year-old Shahab Shahabadi as the individuals to be repatriated.

Case Details

Sandiford, a grandmother, was sentenced to death in Bali in 2013 after being convicted of trafficking narcotics. Customs officers discovered cocaine valued at an estimated $2.14 million hidden in a false compartment in her suitcase when she arrived on a flight from Thailand in 2012.

Shahabadi was arrested in 2014 on separate drug-related charges, according to the government source.

The British Embassy in Jakarta has directed all inquiries regarding the repatriation to the Indonesian government.

A press conference regarding the “release of two British nationals” is scheduled for later Tuesday, to be held by Indonesian authorities alongside the British Ambassador to Indonesia, according to a statement from the Coordinating Ministry of Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correction.

Sandiford has admitted to the offences but stated that she had agreed to transport the drugs after a syndicate threatened her son’s life.

Indonesia maintains some of the world’s strictest drug laws, with dozens of foreign nationals currently on death row for drug-related offences.