First execution in Indonesia in five years leads to concerns for drug smuggling gran Lindsay Sandiford
FEARS are growing for grandmother Lindsay Sandiford after Indonesian officials put to death a drug trafficker in its first execution in five years.
Adami Wilson, 48, from Malawi, was killed by firing squad after being convicted of smuggling 1kg of heroin into Indonesia in 2004.
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Lindsay Sandiford
Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood, who has stressed his opposition to Sandiford's sentence, vowed to speak to the Indonesian ambassador about the latest development. He said: "This sounds like an extremely worrying scenario.
"It is a very concerning development for Lindsay and her family and I will be speaking to the Indonesian ambassador in the UK to ask how this will affect her case. The legal process is ongoing so we should not be overly pessimistic about it."
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Sandiford, who lived for a time in Hester's Way and Warden Hill, was given the death penalty by a court in Bali in January for taking 10.6lb (4.8kg) of cocaine on to the island.
The 56-year-old is currently appealing the death penalty.
There had been no execution in Indonesia since 2008, leading many campaigners to believe it was moving away from capital punishment.
Indonesian Attorney General Basrief Arief said that the authorities planned to put at least a further nine death row inmates to death in 2013.
Amnesty International has condemned the move. Amnesty's Indonesia researcher Papang Hidayat said: "We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, but Indonesia's long period without executions and the pledge to put even more people to death, makes this even more shocking.
"Carrying out even more executions now would be hugely regressive.
"We urge the Indonesia government to immediately halt any plans to put more people to death."
The Foreign Office has also stressed its opposition to the death penalty.
Around 130 people are believed to be on death row in Indonesia.
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by joey102030
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 2:48PM
“Barry George, Donna Anthony, Timothy Evans, Lee Clegg, The Birmingham Six - These people all paid the price for a justice system that sometimes gets it wrong.
Luckily they were convicted in Britain... it's a bit difficult to exonerate someone who's dead.
I'll be happy to accept the Indonesian penal system, just as soon as they can prove 100% conviction accuracy.”
by zalapompadoo
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 6:35PM
“this women knew the risks she has been caught red handed so she has to pay the price sounds harsh .organisations spend millions trying to get people off the very thing she is smuggling.life is tough.”
by Matt1006
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 5:56PM
“NGlos - really don't have a view on African nations hacking limbs off criminals, or the Afghans stoning people to death - simply because my view on such things is utterly irrelevant to the law-makers in those areas. Yes that is the punishments there, and Joe Public should know it (be they locals, or foreign visitors). Their rules, like it or lump it. Barbaric, disgusting - yes, most likely. Be thankful you don't live under such rules. Doesn't matter if we like to or loath it, as our opinions makes not a jot of difference to them.
What happens in the UK (and to a lesser degree, the EU zone) is of interest, as I have a say (in theory) as a voter here. As I've said before, certain convicted criminals in the UK perhaps should face the death penalty, although I'm sure capital punishment will never be reintroduced here. If we were ever presented with a referendum on bringing it back, would I vote for it - an irrelevant question until I was actually presented with a choice.
Back on the topic of this article, Lindsay Sandiford is facing the death penalty in Indonesia, and ultimately she only has herself to blame. If that view upsets people then so be it - I'm certainly not alone in it. She is facing death because she trafficked drugs - lesson learned the hard way, I'd say. If I should ever travel to Indonesia, I will remember not to traffic drugs, as I don't want to face a firing squad myself.”
by RoadWombat
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 5:32PM
“Sorry, NGlos, there you go again: "killing people, barbaricly (sic) for any crime is wrong..."
Who is to say?
You really need to learn that we live in a world of many different cultures, all of them with differing values and ideas, and that we should acknowledge and respect that multiculturalism. Many employers nowadays hold diversity courses - if you are employed, why not ask if you can go on one? You may learn a lot about how other people do things.
For example, the Iraqis use hanging (as in the case of Saddam), different areas of the USA use either lethal injection or the electric chair, whilst Indonesia obviously prefers shooting.
So, rather than stay closeted in your own little world, open your eyes to the wonders of the world, celebrate this diversity and appreciate the richness it brings!”
by Saffy
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 4:48PM
“Sadly I cannot muster any sympathy for this woman.
I too would not like to face death by firing squad...and that's why I also wouldn't traffick drugs.
The debate about the death penalty is a complex and lengthy one.simple fact is,Indonesia does support and impose the death penalty,and I respect that.Its sad for her family,but she got herself into this,nobody made her.”
by Saffy
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 4:44PM
“Sadly I cannot muster any sympathy for this woman.
I too would not like to face death by firing squad...and that's why I also wouldn't traffick drugs.
The debate about the death penalty is a complex and lengthy one.simple fact is,Indonesia does support and impose the death penalty,and I respect that.Its sad for her family,but she got herself into this,nobody made her.”
by NGlos
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 4:24PM
“@Roadwombat
wow careful with you ignorant accusations there!
I'm not presuming my idea of right and wrong is better. Killing people, barbaricly, for any crime is wrong, in a civilised world it is wrong. There is absolutely no reason to bring back the death penalty, ok someone murders someone, but by us as a society condoning to murder of them in turn makes us all murderers!”
by RoadWombat
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 4:06PM
“Yes, NGlos, we have one of the fairest and best judicial systems in the world.
All the more reason why we should also bring back the death penalty.
And whatever other countries do is entirely up to them. Why are you automatically assuming that your idea of what is right and wrong is better than theirs? It seems to me you're nothing but a racist.”
by NGlos
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 3:33PM
“@Matt1006
"As for limbs being hacked off in Africa for stealing a loaf of bread - if that is the punishment for the crime, then it simply comes down to not stealing a loaf of bread. I cannot believe that this is too difficult a concept for anybody to not understand."
Oh come on!! Give me a break! Do you think said person stealing the loaf of bread does so because they are a petty criminal, of course not, they do so because they are starving, their family are starving, their children are starving! Cutting peoples limbs off for stealing a loaf of bread is not the making of a civilised world.
Yours and comments below seem to accept these disgusting 'punishments' because that's just the way it is in those contries. So are you in the same vein condoning a man and women in Afghanistan being stoned to death because they had an affair, oh but thats just the way it is in those contries isn't it and they knew what the punishment would be so that's their own fault.”
by NGlos
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 3:29PM
“@Matt1006
"As for limbs being hacked off in Africa for stealing a loaf of bread - if that is the punishment for the crime, then it simply comes down to not stealing a loaf of bread. I cannot believe that this is too difficult a concept for anybody to not understand."
Oh come on!! Give me a break! Do you think said person stealing the loaf of bread does so because they are a petty criminal, of course not, they do so because they are starving, their family are starving, their children are starving! Cutting peoples limbs off for stealing a loaf of bread is not the making of a civilised world.
Yours and comments below seem to accept these disgusting 'punishments' because that's just the way it is in those contries. So are you in the same vein condoning a man and women in Afghanistan being stoned to death because they had an affair, oh but thats just the way it is in those contries isn't it and they knew what the punishment would be so that's their own fault.”