Bali Nine

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Bali Nine : biography

Appeals

There were several avenues of appeal available to the Bali Nine. Lawyers had seven days post-sentencing to lodge appeals. There is no time limit for those convicted to request clemency from the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, however this requires an admission of guilt and had never been granted for a drug crime until 2009. All appealed to overturn their sentence. Chen, Czugaj, Nguyen, Norman, and Stephens sentences stand at life imprisonment and Lawrence’s sentence remains at 20 years after appeal. In May 2011, Rush’s death sentence was reduced to life after he launched a final appeal in August 2010.} Chan and Sukumaran launched final appeals to have their death sentences reduced in August 2010. Chan lost his appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court on 10 May 2011 and Sukumaran’s appeal was dismissed on 6 July 2011. Both are expected to be executed by firing squad. Some media reports have stated that appeals for clemency are unlikely to be successful. Through to early 2013 five foreign nationals had been executed in Indonesia since 1998, all for drug crimes.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/9817227/British-grandmother-Lindsay-Sandiford-sentenced-to-death-for-drug-trafficking.html British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford sentenced to death for drug trafficking

Related arrests

On 27 April 2005, Indonesian police shot and killed Man Singh Ghale, a known major Indonesian drug trafficker believed to be directly connected to the Bali Nine. Ghale, of Nepali origin, was killed when police stormed his Jakarta home. Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Mick Keelty said Ghale was "directly linked" to the Bali Nine. Six men aged between 19 and 25 were arrested and released on bail in Brisbane on drug trafficking charges believed to be associated with the Bali Nine. On 12 February 2006, police arrested Do Hyung Lee, a 25-year-old of South Korean origin, at Brisbane Airport after arriving on a flight from South Korea. Lee was charged with drug trafficking and importation offences and appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on 13 February 2006, the same day the first of the nine accused in Indonesia learned of their fate. Lee was bailed to reappear in court with the five others on 3 April 2006. Keelty told a Senate estimates committee hearing that more arrests were expected.

Criminal history

Details of the criminal histories of the accused were not published during the trial to avoid harming legal defences in Indonesia. Once the Denpasar District court reached guilty verdicts and issued sentences it was revealed in Australian media that several members of the Bali Nine have a history of criminal offences and convictions in Australia occurring before their arrests in Indonesia. In December 2004 Rush pleaded guilty at the Inala Magistrates’ Court in Queensland to 16 offences including drug possession, fraud, theft and drink-driving. A warrant for his arrest in Australia is currently outstanding relating to A$4,796.95 stolen from the Commonwealth Bank using a forged cheque. Czugaj, also of Brisbane, has 14 convictions for offences including theft, wilful damage, traffic offences and fare evasion.

Lawrence and Norman were arrested on 26 March 2005, whilst travelling along the Pacific Highway in a stolen Ford Laser vehicle. Police were required to use road spikes to intercept the stolen vehicle. Both were due to appear in the Gosford Magistrates Court to face car theft and traffic related charges. On 26 April 2005, they failed to appear due to their imprisonment in Indonesia a week earlier on 17 April 2005. Lawrence also admitted, after her arrest in Indonesia on 17 April 2005, to two prior visits to Bali in October and November 2004. She and Chan had made an earlier successful run with heroin from Bali to Australia during their October visit. The second delivery, scheduled for December 2004 was aborted when heroin suppliers failed to deliver. Lawrence provided a statement to police saying she was paid A$10,000 for the successful heroin delivery, however later retracted her statement.