British Grandmother on Death Row Could Face Execution within Weeks

In December 2012, Lindsay Sandiford (59) by North Yorkshire inside UK was arrested in Bali for attempting to smuggle cocaine by Bangkok. Within weeks, she could be the next foreigner to face the firing squad in Indonesia.

Exactly a year ago today, on 29 April 2015, two members of the ‘Bali Nine’, Australians Myuran Sukumaran as well as Andrew Chan were killed by firing squad – along with six others – after the pair were incarcerated for nearly a decade in Bali. In total last year, 14 drug traffickers were killed in Indonesia, despite intense international pressure.

In November, a moratorium on executions in Indonesia was announced, nevertheless the idea has today been lifted.

Lindsay Sandiford, who is actually currently the most high-profile foreigner currently on death row, is actually a grandmother who was arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine into Bali. In court she admitted to smuggling 4.8kg of cocaine nevertheless insisted in which she was forced to by a drugs gang.

Regardless, Indonesia’s political as well as security chiefs are determined to pursue their plans to execute more drug smugglers This specific year. President Joko Widodo, who recently went on a presidential tour to Europe, also confirmed in which he might honour the policy when answering questions in Berlin. When Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed Germany’s opposition to capital punishment, President Widodo insisted in which drug trafficking has become a “national emergency”.

Indonesia is actually reportedly preparing several steps for the execution, which might include a change of venue with an increased capacity for the firing squad.

The 14 convicts executed in two rounds last year included foreigners by Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Malawi as well as Nigeria. Those currently on death row are by the United States, Malaysia, France, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria as well as the UK.