Lindsay Sandiford, a drug courier, has been spared from facing death row in Bali due to concerns regarding her health, as reported by the Mirror.
Sandiford, who has been at risk of execution in Indonesia’s Kerobokan prison since her conviction in 2013 for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine, asserted that she was coerced by a UK drug syndicate into trafficking the drugs from Thailand.
Following a medical evaluation by UK doctors, Indonesian authorities have consented to her repatriation, citing her “serious illness.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper personally intervened to request Sandiford’s return, according to sources in Indonesia.
A potential meeting to finalize her transfer back to the UK is anticipated to occur soon, with her handover to UK officials expected at the airport.
The 69-year-old grandmother is likely to return home shortly, as UK officials successfully negotiated her repatriation with Indonesian authorities.
An informant disclosed that both Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper made a formal plea to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for Sandiford’s transfer back to the UK, marking the end of her distressing ordeal and signifying a positive development in international relations with Indonesia.
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesia’s senior law and human rights minister, confirmed Sandiford’s dire health condition, stating that she will be repatriated along with another prisoner, Shahab Shahabadi, who is serving a life sentence for drug-related offenses.
Yusril mentioned that both the Foreign Secretary and the British Prime Minister formally requested the transfer of the two prisoners to the UK, which has been approved and finalized through a signed agreement in Jakarta.
While signing the agreement, Yusril was pictured with the British Ambassador to Indonesia, Dominic Jermey. Sandiford, who had moved to India in 2012 before her arrest in Bali in 2012 for cocaine smuggling, has been awaiting her return to the UK.
Sandiford, who initially claimed coercion by a criminal gang, eventually admitted to her involvement in drug trafficking and cooperated with authorities in apprehending other individuals linked to the crime.
Despite legal efforts to appeal her sentence based on coercion and mental health issues, Sandiford’s appeals were unsuccessful, leading to her conviction for drug trafficking and subsequent imprisonment.
Renowned human rights barrister Dr. Felicity Gerry KC, a supporter of Sandiford’s case, emphasized the importance of her immediate release upon arrival in the UK, as per UK laws regarding the repatriation of British prisoners.
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