The last five members of the Bali Nine, a group of Australians convicted of heroin smuggling nearly two decades ago, have been released from prison in Indonesia and returned to Australia, according to authorities from both nations.
The repatriation marks the conclusion of a lengthy saga that captured the Australian public's attention, involving young individuals who attempted to board a flight in Bali in 2005 with heroin concealed on their bodies. The case created diplomatic tensions between Australia and Indonesia for years.
On Sunday afternoon, the five men—Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj—arrived in Australia. Of their four co-defendants, two were executed by firing squad in 2015, one died of cancer in prison in 2018, and another was released for good behavior in 2018.
Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described the return of the five men as an “act of compassion” from Indonesia’s President, Prabowo Subianto. Mr. Prabowo, a former general with a controversial human rights record, was elected president this year and is attempting to reposition himself as a diplomatic leader.
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, an Indonesian minister overseeing law and penitentiary affairs, clarified that the men were not granted pardons but were transferred as prisoners. He stated that their repatriation was based on reciprocity, with expectations of similar considerations from Australia in the future.
Mr. Albanese noted that the men “will now have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration here in Australia.” Although details surrounding their arrival were limited, Australian news outlets reported that, due to the absence of a prisoner transfer agreement, the men would be free to live their lives in Australia.
The Bali Nine, consisting of a group of Australians primarily from Sydney and Brisbane, were convicted of attempting to smuggle over 18 pounds of heroin, valued at approximately 4 million Australian dollars at the time. Some were apprehended at Bali's main airport while trying to board a flight to Australia, while others were arrested at a nearby hotel.
Sentences imposed by an Indonesian court included death for some defendants and life imprisonment for others, leading to significant scrutiny in Australia, especially after revelations that the Australian Federal Police had informed Indonesian authorities about the smuggling operation. Australia abolished the death penalty in 1985.
In 2009, four years post-arrests, Australian police established guidelines requiring ministerial approval before sharing information in cases that could result in the death penalty.
In 2015, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed despite appeals from then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who described the event as a “dark moment” in Australian-Indonesian relations. Indonesia's application of the death penalty in drug-related cases has also caused friction with other countries.
Renae Lawrence, the only female member of the Bali Nine, was released in 2018 after her sentence was commuted. She subsequently appealed to former Indonesian President Joko Widodo for the release of the remaining men, who had declared drug abuse a “national emergency” and maintained a strict stance against death row inmates convicted of drug offenses.
In a statement in 2020, Ms. Lawrence expressed concern for the young men, acknowledging their wrongdoing while apologizing to both the Indonesian government and the Australian public for their actions.
This month, Indonesia also agreed to release a Filipina woman, Mary Jane Veloso, who had been sentenced to death on drug smuggling charges but was spared at the last moment. Philippine officials have maintained that Ms. Veloso was unaware of her role as a courier when she was convicted in 2010, coinciding with the scheduled executions of Chan and Sukumaran.