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Australia|Five ‘Bali Nine’ Drug Smugglers Return to Australia After Two Decades
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/world/australia/bali-nine-ring-indonesia-return.html
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The men were the last Australians still imprisoned in Indonesia for trying to smuggle heroin in 2005, in a case that became a diplomatic flashpoint between the countries.
Dec. 16, 2024, 3:31 a.m. ET
The last five members of the so-called Bali Nine, a group of Australians who were convicted of smuggling heroin nearly two decades ago, have been released from prison in Indonesia and are back in Australia, according to the authorities in both countries.
The men’s repatriation ends a long saga that captivated the Australian public, involving young people who in 2005 tried to board a flight in Bali, the Indonesian island that is a popular tourist destination, with heroin strapped to their bodies. The case was a diplomatic sore spot between the nations for years.
The five men, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen and Michael Czugaj, arrived in Australia on Sunday afternoon, officials said. Of their four co-defendants, two, who were considered ringleaders, were executed by firing squad in 2015. Another died in prison, of cancer, in 2018, and one was released due to good behavior in 2018.
Australia‘s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, called the five men’s return an “act of compassion” on the part of Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto. Mr. Prabowo, a feared former general who was once barred from entering the United States because of his human rights record, was elected president this year and has been trying to recast himself as a diplomatically savvy statesman.
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, an Indonesian minister who oversees law and penitentiary affairs, said the men had not been granted pardons and were being transferred as prisoners, according to Antara, a government-run news agency. Mr. Mahendra said their repatriation was based on reciprocity and that Australia would give similar considerations in return, the agency reported.
Mr. Albanese said in a statement that the men “will now have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration here in Australia.” The government gave few details about their arrival, but Australian news outlets reported that because the countries have no prisoner transfer agreement, the men will be free to live their lives.
