Thread: Bali Nine

Kill Bali 9 ringleaders: prosecutors
Adam Gartrell and Gde Suardana
November 19, 2010

Indonesian prosecutors have called on the country's supreme court to uphold the death sentences of Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Prosecutor Siti Sawiyah on Friday said death by firing squad was the appropriate punishment for the Sydney drug traffickers and that their final appeal - known as a judicial review - should be thrown out of court.

"These man have committed a crime that was organised, with a neatly arranged plan, it was orderly and secretive," Ms Sawiyah told the Denpasar District Court.

"The Indonesian Supreme Court in Jakarta, which will examine this case should ... reject the judicial review."

Fellow prosecutor Ida Ayu Sulasmi said the death penalty was necessary to deter others from committing similar crimes.

"The Indonesian people and society, especially the people of Bali, consider Bali a tourist destination and illegal distribution of narcotics is a serious threat that could alter the image of Bali tourism," she said.

Chan, 26, and Sukumaran, 29, were two of nine Australians convicted over a 2005 attempt to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin out of Bali.

Their judicial review seeks to have their death sentences reduced to 20 years' prison.

Appeal hearings have been held in the Denpasar court, but the case will now be sent to the supreme court for a verdict.

The appeal rests in large part on evidence the men have been successfully rehabilitated and are now role models inside prison.

It also argues previous rulings against the men erred by finding them guilty of exporting drugs, even though they were caught before exportation actually occurred.

If the appeal fails, the pair will be forced to seek clemency from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who generally takes a dim view of drug smugglers.

Fellow Bali Nine death row inmate Scott Rush's judicial review is also currently before the supreme court.

Five other members of the drug smuggling plot - Martin Stephens, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Si Yi Chen and Tan Duc Than Nguyen - are serving life sentences.

The final member of the drug ring, courier Renae Lawrence, is serving a 20-year sentence.

news.smh.com.au

Life term upheld for Bali drug mule
January 14, 2011

Indonesia's top court has rejected the final appeal by Australian drug smuggler Martin Stephens to reduce his life sentence to 10 years, a court spokesman says.

Stephens, 34, a member of the so-called Bali Nine gang, sought a judicial review last year after the country's higher courts upheld his life sentence.

Supreme Court spokesman Djoko Sarwoko on Thursday said there was "no confusion in the previous ruling".

"There's also no new evidence that can be used to help reduce his life sentence," he added.

Stephens was arrested in 2005 at Denpasar airport on the resort island of Bali with 2.9 kilograms of heroin strapped to his legs and stomach.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty had submitted a written statement describing him as a "minor" player in the heroin-smuggling plot, but Mr Sarwoko said that this could not be used as evidence.

Three other members of the Bali Nine drug ring lodged final appeals against their death sentences last year and are waiting for the Supreme Court's verdict.

Besides Stephens, four others - Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj and Thanh Nguyen - are serving life sentences.

Renae Lawrence, the only woman in the group, received 20 years but has had her sentence reduced by almost two years for good behaviour.

Hope fades for Bali ringleaders
Toni O'Loughlin
January 15, 2011

The lawyer for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the convicted heroin traffickers on death row in Bali, says he has little hope for his clients after another of the so-called Bali nine, Martin Stephens, failed to overturn his life sentence.

Chan, 26, and Sukumaran, 29, convicted of organising the attempt to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin from Indonesia to Australia in 2005, are on death row awaiting the verdict on their appeal to have their sentence cut to 20 years in prison.

But after the Indonesian Supreme Court's rejection this week of Stephens's argument that his life sentence should be cut to 10 years because he was merely a courier, Chan and Sukumaran's chances of avoiding the firing squad have dwindled.

''I'm disappointed. I think it's a policy to hand out heavy sentences for drug cases,'' Chan and Sukumaran's lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, said. ''These are very young people, yes they did wrong, they violated laws but they should be given a chance to change their lives.''

Bali Nine ringleader in hospital
January 18, 2011

Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Andrew Chan is believed to be in a serious condition in a Bali hospital after complaining of having trouble breathing.

The head of Kerobokan Prison, Siswanto, said Chan complained of breathing difficulties and was taken to Denpasar's Sanglah Hospital on Monday afternoon.

"He suffered trouble breathing yesterday afternoon. He was sick horribly and that's why we had to take him to the hospital," Siswanto told AAP on Tuesday.

Siswanto said it was unclear what caused Chan to become ill, but the matter was considered serious.

"We would not take him to Sanglah Hospital if he were not sick this heavy."
Siswanto said Chan was under guard by staff from the prosecutor's office since he was a death row inmate.

"As for now, I still don't know what the doctor say (about his condition)."

Chan is on death row, along with fellow Bali Nine ringleader Myuran Sukumaran, for his part in the 2005 plot to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia.

Both are awaiting the outcome of final appeals.

watoday.com.au

If you want sympathy, it's between Shit and Syphilis in the dictionary.

It is very hard to feel any sympathy, all over the world you bump into these arrogant bastards who have got away with smuggling this filth. Their contempt for others is astonishing. In their flash cars, big houses and hangers-on. Not so cocky when they get caught.

Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

Somehow I feel their change of heart about lying about their involvement, their realization about the dangers of drugs and chan's religious conversion are all contrived to try and get off...

As much as I am against the death penalty, I dont have much sympathy for these two scumbags...

What religion did this Chan, convert to?

Australian consular officials in Indonesia will visit Bali Nine death-row inmates Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran after it emerged their chances of escaping the firing squad have been boosted. Chan and Sukumaran, who are facing the death penalty for their part in a 2005 plot to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia, are awaiting the outcome of their final appeals.
It has emerged that their chances of escaping death, and having their sentences reduced to 20 years in jail, have received a boost after the judges hearing their final appeals provided a legal opinion that the sanctity of life must be considered.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade today said the Government was aware of the reports but was taking a cautious approach to the development.
"The Denpasar District Court's legal opinion has not been released officially and it would be unwise to speculate on the veracity of a report which has not been officially released by the court," the spokesperson said.

"Furthermore, this is only one step in their judicial review process. The Supreme Court will form its own opinion on the applications and is not bound by the District Court's findings."
The Government would continue to lobby for their lives to be spared, if the the Supreme Court upholds the death sentences already handed down.
"As we have always indicated, if they are unsuccessful in overturning their sentences in the courts, the Australian Government will vigorously support clemency," the spokesperson said.
Consular officials in Canberra had spoken with the families of both Chan and Sukumaran.
The written declaration by the three judges said that the right to life "must not be ignored, reduced (or) taken away by anyone", Fairfax media reported, and was sent from Denpasar District Court to the country's Supreme Court last month.
A final decision by the court on whether the pair will have their lives spared is expected within months.
Their Australian lawyer, Julian McMahon, described the comments from the judges as a "crucial and positive development".
"The recommendation is a careful analysis of the arguments for both prosecution and defence, but it is clearly weighted in favour of not executing," he told AAP.
"It throws open the door to allow the Supreme Court to focus on and implement the sentencing principles which favour reducing the penalty in the circumstances of this case."
If the Supreme Court rejects their final appeals, their chances of escaping death by firing squad will be left to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who has the power to grant clemency.
A third Bali Nine member on death row, Scott Rush, is also waiting to hear if his life will be spared.

I heard that on the radio this morning. But it sounds as if Suriman and Chan will be spared, but Scott will not.

If so, that would be a tragedy of justice.

These guys knew what they were getting into before they even started, before they even landed in that country infact have you got to be a complete dickhead not to know what happens for moving dope, these guys were just a bunch of wankers in the first place.

som nam na

Drug mule finds wedded bliss behind bars
TOM ALLARD AND AMILIA ROSA
Last updated 15:54 12/04/2011


CAPTIVE COUPLE: Bali nine heroin courier Martin Stephens and his bride Christine Winarni Puspayanti dance at their wedding inside Kerobokan Prison


In a spare room at Kerobokan Prison appointed with flowers and new furniture, well away from the crowded cells, Bali nine drug mule Martin Stephens and his wife, Christine, last night spent their first evening together as a married couple.

The rare conjugal privilege followed a small ceremony and raucous wedding reception yesterday at the penitentiary for the long-time sweethearts, who met shortly after Stephens was caught with more than three kilograms of heroin strapped to his body at Bali's airport.

Dressed in traditional Javanese wedding attire, the couple were betrothed at the prison's chapel, with their parents present, as was Renae Lawrence, another member of the Bali nine smuggling syndicate.

Other members of the Bali nine turned up for the reception, where the prison band played and the newlyweds led the dancing.

According to those invited, marijuana smuggler Schapelle Corby was not there, nor were Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the organisers of the Bali nine drug ring who face the firing squad.

''It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to,'' said Adnan Wirawan, Stephens's lawyer. ''The ceremony was sacred, everybody was happy. Today they are celebrating, not thinking about tomorrow ... just celebrating.

''Martin said to me, 'I am doing this for our love. That's it. Nothing else.' ''

Leaving the prison yesterday afternoon, Stephens's mother, Michelle, summed up the day as ''excellent''.

Stephens met Christine Winarni Puspayanti just months after his arrest in 2005. Christine, a convert to Christianity, went to the prison as part of a church group offering spiritual support to the convicts.

Stephens was quickly smitten. Within 12 months, the duo were talking about marriage and children.

Christine has a daughter, Laura, from a previous marriage. Legal appeals, financial constraints and logistics problems delayed the nuptials, but the two remained devoted throughout.

A visitor to Kerobokan's meeting yard would invariably see the duo kissing, limbs entwined, oblivious to their lack of privacy.

Stephens lost an appeal against his life sentence earlier this year. His last remaining options include going through an administrative process available to all convicts in Indonesia who have served five years or more of a life term. That could result in his term being reduced to 20 years. With remissions, Stephens could be free in about six years.

Stephens could also launch a direct appeal for clemency to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

- Sydney Morning Herald

and from a separate article in SMH ; will marrying him in a Bali jail entitle her to an Australian visa?

*************************

Ms Puspayanti said she was not afraid of the length of her new husband's prison sentence.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not thinking about it (his sentence)," Ms Puspayanti said.

"I believe in God. If we're good then God will give us something good too. I was working in a restaurant, but now, I'm only taking care of him. I love him and I'm not afraid with how long his sentence is.

"I'm actually a widow with two children. But for now, I don't want to have kids immediately. I want to have kids when we're in Australia."

Kerobokan Prison Chief Siswanto said a room in the prison had been made into the newlyweds' chamber, just for one night.

"For the newlywed, based on humanity, there should be the first night," he said.

After the wedding, if Stephens' wife wants to visit him then she must follow schedule, Siswanto said

Originally Posted by genghis61

will marrying him in a Bali jail entitle her to an Australian visa?

it probably won't matter she won't be around in 20 years imo.

has he got a beer gut , or is it just the shirt

he's a fat bastard living the good life he just can't go home

whats the bet he knocks her up,,

Stuff them, scum of the earth.
Honestly anybody who goes to any of these countries and try to risk carrying, i have absolutely no symathy for them, cock heads.
Remember Van Nguyen who the Aussie authorities were trying to help in Singapore?
He was unequivocally caught red handed so got what he deserved, same with all those flotsam. In this instance, his missus looks like a khatoey.

article says he 'could be free in six years'; I was surprised the Indonesian authorities allowed the couple a private room for the night - he must be a well-behaved prisoner - and doesn't he look too well-fed to be living in a Bali prison?
She'll be hoping that the one night was enough for a pregnancy, 6 years it'll be him, her and three children heading your way Australia.

Scott Rush escapes death penalty
May 10, 2011 - 6:04PM


Relief ... It is understood the Supreme Court granted his appeal on the basis that he had shown remorse for his actions.

Read more: Scott Rush escapes death penalty
The death sentence against Bali Nine member Scott Rush has been overturned when he won his judicial review before the Indonesian Supreme Court.

His lawyer Frans Hendra Winata has confirmed to AAP that his sentence has been reduced to life.
Rush, 24, had been facing the death penalty for his part in a 2005 plot to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia.
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It is understood the Supreme Court granted his appeal on the basis that he had shown remorse for his actions, while also citing his age at the time as a mitigating factor.
The court also considered the fact that he was not a ringleader in the group, and only a courier.
"Yes, I just heard it, the sentence has been changed to life," his lawyer told AAP.
"This is a really good news for the family."
Mr Winata said he had informed of the decision on Tuesday afternoon.
"The reasons were that he's still young, he's being repentant and his role was only a courier," he said.
The so-called Bali Nine ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, are also waiting for the outcome of their judicial reviews in the hope that they will also escape the death penalty.

Good news for him and his family.

24 years old, he doesnt look it anymore.

Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr

Fk we all did some silly things at that age

exactly mate. life sentence is a fukkin very huge lesson to learn.

Originally Posted by bobo746

But he told the court that Rush did have a criminal record for very minor drug offences before coming to Bali.

Must be pure coincidence?

Originally Posted by bobo746

Rush, now 24, was arrested at Denpasar airport with more than a kilogram of heroin strapped to his body.

Hardly a minor amount of Heroin?


This guy knew what he was doing and a Kilo of smack isn't minor drug smuggling, he knew the penalty (if he didn't he should have done). Lucky Guy!

Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

24 years old, he doesnt look it anymore.

Probably looks better than most smack addicts of his age using for the past 5 years though and longer life expectancy

Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

exactly mate. life sentence is a fukkin very huge lesson to learn.

Reckon he'll make the most of it though, can't comprehend how relieved he must be atleast for his family

Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr

Probably looks better than most smack addicts of his age using for the past 5 years though and longer life expectancy

Is he on smack in there then ?