Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 6, 2006 18:34:13 GMT -5
Downer confirms Bali Nine death sentences
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer has confirmed that an Indonesian court
has sentenced 4 members of the Bali 9 to death.
Mr Downer said the court appeared to have acted off its own bat in
imposing death sentences on 20-year-old Scott Rush, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen,
23, Si Yi Chen, 21, and the youngest of the group, 19-year-old Matthew
Norman.
The 4 had originally been sentenced to either life imprisonment or 20
years in jail.
"The Indonesian Supreme Court's clearly taken the view that trafficking in
heroin is a profoundly grave offence," Mr Downer said.
"We understand from conversations between our embassy and one of the
judges that the judges took the view that heroin would not only do
enormous damage to Indonesians but would do enormous damage to people in
other countries.
"And they thought that the Bali High Court and the Denpasar District Court
had been too forgiving if you like with the admittedly harsh but nothing
like as-harsh sentences.
"And so as a result they've decided on their initiative and without being
urged to do so by the prosecution ... to apply the death penalty in these
cases."
Mr Downer said the Government would support appeals to Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for clemency.
I have no idea whether those appeals will be successful or not. We haven't
had a situation with Indonesia in the last 10 years where an Australian
has been ... executed," he said. The court had also confirmed death
sentences handed down earlier to Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan, 22,
and Myuran Sukumaran, 25.
However the Supreme Court ruled 2 other smugglers, Michael Czugaj and
Martin Stephens, should serve life in jail.
The sole woman in the group, Renae Lawrence, did not lodge an appeal
against her 20-year sentence.
(source: AAP)
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer has confirmed that an Indonesian court
has sentenced 4 members of the Bali 9 to death.
Mr Downer said the court appeared to have acted off its own bat in
imposing death sentences on 20-year-old Scott Rush, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen,
23, Si Yi Chen, 21, and the youngest of the group, 19-year-old Matthew
Norman.
The 4 had originally been sentenced to either life imprisonment or 20
years in jail.
"The Indonesian Supreme Court's clearly taken the view that trafficking in
heroin is a profoundly grave offence," Mr Downer said.
"We understand from conversations between our embassy and one of the
judges that the judges took the view that heroin would not only do
enormous damage to Indonesians but would do enormous damage to people in
other countries.
"And they thought that the Bali High Court and the Denpasar District Court
had been too forgiving if you like with the admittedly harsh but nothing
like as-harsh sentences.
"And so as a result they've decided on their initiative and without being
urged to do so by the prosecution ... to apply the death penalty in these
cases."
Mr Downer said the Government would support appeals to Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for clemency.
I have no idea whether those appeals will be successful or not. We haven't
had a situation with Indonesia in the last 10 years where an Australian
has been ... executed," he said. The court had also confirmed death
sentences handed down earlier to Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan, 22,
and Myuran Sukumaran, 25.
However the Supreme Court ruled 2 other smugglers, Michael Czugaj and
Martin Stephens, should serve life in jail.
The sole woman in the group, Renae Lawrence, did not lodge an appeal
against her 20-year sentence.
(source: AAP)