http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/28/bali-nine-pair-executed-indonesia
Bali Nine pair among eight executed for drug offences in Indonesia
Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumuran among eight executed after high-level campaign for clemency failed to sway Indonesian president
The development marks the end of years of campaigning to spare the men, who were sentenced to death in 2006 for their part in the Bali Nine heroin-smuggling ring.
Also executed were four Nigerians, a Brazilian and an Indonesian. All had beenconvicted of drug crimes.
A ninth prisoner scheduled to face the firing squad, Filipino woman Mary Jane Veloso, received a last-minute temporary reprieve.
Veloso, who was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 with 2.6kg of heroin in her suitcase, was granted a stay of execution after the woman she claims set her up “voluntarily surrendered” to police on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Indonesian attorney general, Muhammad Prasetyo, said Veloso’s death sentence had been postponed so she could testify against the woman, Maria Kristina Sergio.
The killings were carried out at 12.30am, local time, on the prison island of Nusa Kambangan off the coast of Java.
Chan’s brother, Michael, said after the execution he had “just lost a courageous brother to a flawed Indonesian legal system”. “I miss you already RIP my Little Brother,” he tweeted.
The Australian pair’s Indonesian lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, also expressed sorrowon Twitter, writing, “I am sorry” and “I failed. I lost”.
Hundreds had gathered at the port of Cilacap on Tuesday to watch lawyers and families make their final visits to the prisoners.
Police were forced to use dogs to clear the heavy media pack when Chan’s and Sukumaran’s visibly distressed relatives arrived. Sukumaran’s sister, Brintha, collapsed in the melee and had to be carried into the port office by her father, Sam.
Speaking after their visit, Sukumaran’s brother, Chinthu, again urged Indonesia to show mercy. “Please don’t let my mum and my sister have to bury my brother,” he said. Through tears, his mother, Raji, said: “I won’t see my son again and they are going to take him tonight and shoot him and he is healthy and he is beautiful and he has a lot of compassion for other people.
“Please president, please don’t kill him today. Please don’t. Call off the execution. Please don’t kill my son. Please don’t.”
Michael Chan said the family had gone through “torture”. “I saw today something that no other family should ever have to go to. Nine families inside a prison saying goodbye to their loved ones,” he said. “There has to be a moratorium on the death penalty, no family should endure it. Because now the family is going to have a grieving process for the rest of their life.”
Angela Muxfeldt, cousin of the Brazilian, Rodrigo Gularte, said in the hours before his execution the 42-year-old was the calmest she had seen him in three months. “He is calm. He doesn’t want I cry and doesn’t believe execution will happen,” she said, visibly emotional.
Lawyers for Gularte were still lodging an appeal on Tuesday, claiming he suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and had been unfit to stand trial when sentenced to death for cocaine smuggling in 2005.
Chan and Sukumaran, too, have outstanding legal challenges, including a constitutional appeal on 12 May to a presidential decision in January to deny them clemency, reportedly made without having even reviewed their files.
The others who were executed were Raheem Agbaje Salami (also known as Jamiu Owolabi Abashin), Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Martin Anderson, Zainal Abidin and Okwuduli Oyatanze.
A 10th death row prisoner, Serge Atlaioui, from France, was due to be executed this week, but his sentence has been delayed pending a legal challenge.
Veloso’s last-minute stay of execution was granted after Sergio, who was wanted for human trafficking and illegal recruitment in relation to the case, handed herself in to police in the Philippines province of Nueva Ecija on Tuesday morning.
Veloso claims that Sergio enticed her to Malaysia with a job offer, where an associate known as Ike bought her a new suitcase and instructed her to run an “errand” to Indonesia, where police found the heroin stitched into the lining of her bag. Sergio has denied this account.
Tony Spontana, a spokesman for the Indonesian attorney general, Muhammad Prasetyo, said in a text message: “There was a request from the Philippine president regarding the perpetrator who’s suspected of committing human trafficking and surrendered in the Philippines. MJ [Mary-Jane] is needed for her testimony.”
The remaining eight prisoners were tied to wooden stakes and shot by 12 marksmen, three of whom carried live rounds. They aimed at crosses marked over the mens’ hearts.
Months of high-level diplomatic representations and high-profile campaigns failed to sway the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, who has described narcotics as a “national emergency” and pledged to clear the country’s death row of drug offenders.
Six people, five of them foreigners, were shot in a first round of executions in January. Official figures are unreliable, but following these most recent killings, it is estimated around 33 foreigners remain on death row in Indonesia for drug crimes.
Speaking hours before the executions, Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said she was “deeply disturbed” by Indonesia’s handling of the matter and warned there “will have to be consequences”.
Australia has never withdrawn diplomatic staff over an execution of a citizen abroad, but on Tuesday evening the prime minster, Tony Abbott, said he was recalling Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson. Abbott said Australia’s reaction could not be “simply business as usual”. “For that reason … our ambassador will be withdrawn for consultations,” he said.
The human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC called on Tuesday for some of the $600m that Australia directs to Indonesia each year in foreign aid to be redirected to Nepal.
Brazil and the Netherlands withdrew their ambassadors following the January round of executions, which included their citizens, and Brazil has refused to accept the credentials of the new Indonesian ambassador.
Plans for Wednesday’s executions attracted international condemnation, including from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who called on Widodo to “urgently consider declaring a moratorium on capital punishment in Indonesia, with a view toward abolition”.
The Council of Europe secretary general, Thorbjørn Jagland, had also asked Indonesia to refrain, calling the death penalty “a terrible injustice which can never be put right”.
On Tuesday, Australia, the European Union and France issued a joint statement asking Indonesia to “reflect on the impact [of the executions] on Indonesia’s position in a globalised world and an international reputation”.
“We support Indonesia’s efforts to obtain forgiveness for its citizens abroad. Stopping this execution will help those efforts,” the statement said.
Vigils were held across Australia for Chan, 31, and Sukumuran, 34, whose cause had been embraced by the country in their final months. Tarred as thugs for years after their capture, on death row the pair underwent sincere transformations, Chan converting to Christianity and Sukumaran emerging as an accomplished artist.
After earlier denying the pair their choice of spiritual counsellors, Indonesian authorities relented late on Tuesday, allowing pastors Christie Buckingham and David Soper to attend to the men in the final hours.
Sukumaran continued to paint up until his last day, producing a rendering of a human heart signed by each nine of the prisoners who were scheduled to be shot in the early hours of Wednesday. It was titled, “One heart, one feeling in love”.
The bodies of the foreigners executed in Indonesia, including Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, have arrived via ambulance on the mainland of Indonesia. It will be another 10 hours or so before they reach Jakarta. The Guardian’s Dina Indrasafitri reports there were about five ambulances.
Australia is yet to be formally notified of the executions but foreign minister, Julie Bishop, says we can assume it has happened. Bishop says the bodies of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will be brought to Australia for burial.
I was in contact with the families overnight. They are in a devastating position and I understand that they will put out a statement later this morning. Our concern centres on the fact that the apparent rehabilitation of Mr Chan and Mr Sukumaran was not taken into account.
I expect to be able to discuss further aspects of our relationship with Indonesia when our ambassador, Paul Grigson, returns to Australia at the end of this week.
Asked if the withdrawal of Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia for consultations will be the only consequence of the executions, prime minister Tony Abbott says ministerial contacts will also remain suspended.
Well it is very unusual, indeed unprecedented,for an ambassador to be withdrawn so I don’t want to minimise the gravity of what we’ve done. Ministerial contacts have been suspended for some time once it became apparent that the executions were likely, ministerial contacts were suspended and they will remain suspended for a period. Apart from that, I don’t want to personalise this because it’s important that the relationship between the Australian Government and the Indonesian Government continue.
The so-called Bali Nine were arrested trying to leave Indonesia with heroin strapped to their bodies. Indonesian authorities were alerted to it after a tip off from the Australian Federal Police which has raised questions about why the AFP did not arrest the nine when they arrived in Australia.
Asked about the role of the AFP, Bishop says now is not the time for recriminations.
The involvement of the Australian Federal Police was reviewed a number of years ago and changes were made. We are satisfied that the changes that are in place were appropriate but I don’t believe today is the time to look for recriminations. Now is a time to be thinking of the Chan and Sukumaran families to spare a thought for what they are going through today and to provide them with all the support and assistance that we can. It’s an appalling situation for them.
Asked if Australia’s aid to Indonesia will be impacted, Bishop says it is under a different set of considerations. Abbott has also issued a warning for people to be careful in how they convey their dismay at Indonesia.
First of all I absolutely understand people’s anger. I absolutely understand people’s anger. Yes, the drug trade is evil and these two committed a serious crime. But particularly given the last 10 years and the very thorough rehabilitation and reform that these two demonstrated, it is, as I said, cruel and unnecessary what has taken place. So I absolutely understand people’s anger.
On the other hand, we do not want to make a difficult situation worse and the relationship between Australia and Indonesia is important, remains important, will always be important, will become more important as time goes by. So I would say to people yes, you are absolutely entitled to be angry but we’ve got to be very careful to ensure that we do not allow our anger to make a bad situation worse.
Australia to withdraw Indonesian ambassador for “consultations”
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced Australia will withdraw the Australian ambassador to Indonesia as result of the executions ofAndrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Speaking in Canberra:
Australia respects the Indonesian system. We respect Indonesia’s sovereignty but we do deplore what’s been done and this cannot be simply business as usual.
I want to stress that this is a very important relationship between Australia and Indonesia but it has suffered as a result of what’s been done over the last few hours. Whatever people think of the death penalty, whatever people think of drug crime, the fact is that these two families have suffered an appalling tragedy and I’m sure that every Australian’s thoughts and prayers will be with those families at this time.
Julie Bishop foreshadowed “consequences” ahead of the execution of Australians, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, my colleague,Daniel Hurst, reports in a piece about the political reaction in Australiayou can read here. He reports:
Australia must respond strongly to Indonesia’s execution of two citizens, the Labor opposition said, as MPs from all sides of politics expressed their anger at the “cruel and devastating loss”.
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, was due to address the media on Wednesday morning but said on the eve of the execution ofMyuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan that “of course there will be have to be consequences”.
Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop will address media at 7.30am to speak about Australia’s response to the executions. While we wait here are summaries from Indonesia, Australia and around the world, in the hours since the death, filed by AAP.
I have just lost a courageous brother to a flawed Indonesian legal system. I miss you already RIP my Little Brother.”
Michael Chan, the brother of executed Australian Andrew Chan.
I am sorry. I failed. I lost.”
Chan and Myuran Sukumaran’s Indonesian lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis.
We stand in solidarity with the families of all those who were brutally executed in this senseless, tragic and wasteful act of state-sanctioned murder.”
Amnesty campaigner and human rights lawyer Diana Sayed.
It’s awful, I know, but the two boys died well. They made their preparations, they were dignified. They’re strong against the death penalty, they were supportive of their families.” –
Chan and Sukumaran’s lawyer Peter Morrissey.
Lives lost. Nothing gained.”
Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke.
Those set to be executed are living proof of capacity to reform and rehabilitate offenders into productive members of society.”
Richard Branson
Journalists are reporting, Mary Jane Veloso, who was granted a reprieve from the execution squad, is on her way back to Wirogunan Prison.
Her lawyer has tweeted about her last minute reprieve, to testify in a trial against an alleged drug smuggler and people trafficker.
Edre Olalia says they are organising for her to see her two young sons.
We are hearing Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, will address media about the execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaranin the next couple of hours.
Greens leader, Christine Milne, has issued a statement calling the execution a “tragedy” and saying Chan and Sukumaran will be remembered for overcoming their past to live meaningful lives.
Capital punishment must be abolished wherever in the world it is still carried out. We in Australia must continue to advocate for an end to capital punishment and promote human rights around the world, especially in our region. The lives of these two Australians have been ended by firing squad at the direction of the Indonesian government. I condemn this act in the strongest possible terms.
Opposition leader, Bill Shorten, and opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Tanya Plibersek, issued a statement saying the “worst fears” have been realised.
Indonesia has not just robbed two young men of their lives but robbed itself of two examples of the strengths of its justice system. These executions significantly weaken Indonesia’s ability to plead mercy for its own citizens facing execution around the world. As a close friend and neighbour of Indonesia, Australia is deeply hurt that our pleas for mercy were ignored.
You can read profiles of the eight people executed in Indonesia here. The list includes two people who were given reprieves, Filipina Mary Jane Veloso and Frenchman Serge Atlaoui.
A quick glance at the newspaper front pages coming out in the hours after the deaths of the eight people executed in Indonesia.
In Brisbane, Australia the Courier Mail held the presses to put out a 4am edition after the men had been killed.
— The Courier-Mail (@couriermail)April 28, 2015
Today’s editorial – Indonesia’s antics served only to insult and offend: http://t.co/x46XI0eUef#Bali9pic.twitter.com/qlaMNemceS
The Jakarta Globe, an English language newspaper in Indonesia, plays a straighter bat:
— The Jakarta Globe (@thejakartaglobe)April 28, 2015
Front Page, April 29: Eight drug convicts executed despite concerted clemency calls from foreign leaderspic.twitter.com/4tVeKnOnRK
And here is the Sydney Morning Herald, which would have gone to print before the executions were carried out:
— Ben Cubby (@bencubby)April 28, 2015
First edition of today’s paper, p1. pic.twitter.com/LqFF1SAa3E
The eight prisoners who were executed in Indonesia a few hours ago were initially denied a visit from a spiritual adviser from their religion. This decision was reversed and ABC are reporting the prisoners, includingAndrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were allowed their last rites.
ABC correspondent, Greg Jennett, who is in Indonesia reports:
They would have said a farewell after being blessed and given the last rites at one point.
Jennett says the families of both men will now return to Jakarta and the bodies of the two men will be signed over to the Australian consulate-general.
I expect and we have had indications that they won’t say anymore. They’re going to leave Cilacap, they’re going to try to be obscure as they canto make their way home, to go back home for funeral services. The bodies will go quite quickly, so that puts some urgency in the travels of the families as well. Now, there has been a kind of media strategy on the part of the Chan and Sukumaran families to display their final grief or at least be open to the media. However, I think things change substantially this morning and there’s no longer any reason, no purpose to lobbying any further. So I think for that reason they will largely disappear from public view until the funeral services in Australia.
PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO STOP KILLING PEOPLE – IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO TAKE A LIFE! IT IS NO-ONES RIGHT TO KILL! THE LAW HAS NO RIGHT TO KILL YOU – NO RIGHT!
saintandrewstwinflame 