[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 23



INDONESIA:

Bali 9 Executions: Indonesian Prosecutors Prepare Death Penalty For Australian 
Drug Smugglers Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran



Indonesian prosecutors were instructed Thursday to officially begin preparing 
to execute the leaders of the Bali 9 drug ring. The Australian Broadcasting 
Corporation reported that Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, plus 8 
other death row inmates, are expected to soon face a firing squad. The date of 
their executions has not yet been announced.

This could indicate that Chan and Sukumaran, who were convicted in 2006 for 
trying to smuggle $4 million of heroin out of Indonesia, are out of options. 
Other members of the Bali Nine received imprisonment for their crimes, but the 
courts repeatedly turned down Chan and Sukumaran's appeals to reduce their 
sentence. President Joko Widodo also rejected their clemency pleas. "We already 
gave the maximum legal avenues to find the most fair legal verdict," he said 
this month. "It is only a matter of time."

The death sentences for Chan, Sukumaran and the others have been delayed since 
February, but Indonesia Attorney General spokesman Tony Spontana said the 
courts have only one legal matter left to resolve. It concerns another inmate 
and should be wrapped up within the next few days.

As such, on Thursday he said the government sent letters to prosecutors for 
"preparation, implementation and reporting after the execution," according to 
news.au.com. Death row inmates must be given three days' notice before they are 
killed.

Widodo has previously said that sentencing smugglers to death represents an 
"important shock therapy" for people considering violating Indonesia's laws. In 
December 2014, 64 of the 136 people on Indonesia's death row were convicted for 
drug trafficking, according to Human Rights Watch.

People worldwide have criticized the Indonesian courts over perceived 
inconsistencies in handing down sentences. For example, inmates in a similar 
case to the Bali 9 -- Iranians Mosavipour bin Sayed Abdollah and Moradalivand 
bin Moradali? -- successfully had their death sentences commuted to life last 
month. They had been caught picking up bags of methamphetamines.

(source: IB Times)