Coordinating Minister Yusril: 2 British Prisoners This Week Returned To Indonesia This Week

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correction Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the Indonesian government would repatriate two British prisoners this week through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali.

"There has been an agreement with the British Government that they will be picked up in the past two or three days and will be flown from Denpasar to Dubai and then to England," said Yusril in Jakarta, Tuesday.

The two inmates who will be repatriated are Lindsay June Sandiford and Shahab Shahabadi. The Indonesian Supreme Court found both of them guilty in a narcotics crime case.

Lindsay is a death row convict who according to Yusril is almost 70 years old, but has not been executed until now. Meanwhile, Shahab is a prisoner who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He explained that the repatriation of the two inmates was based on the request of the British Government which was agreed upon through practical arrangements with the Government of Indonesia.

According to him, the matter of repatriation of prisoners in question has been coordinated with the Attorney General's Office, the Directorate General of Corrections, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Although it has agreed to return two prisoners from England, Indonesia has not yet started talks to repatriate Indonesian citizens convicted in the country.

This, said Yusril, needs comprehensive consideration first. "I think this issue needs to be discussed in a coordinated manner with all ministries and talks about it, it hasn't started at all," he said.

Previously, the Government of Indonesia and the Government of the UK signed a practical arrangement agreement regarding the transfer of two narcotics convicts with British citizenship.

The signing was carried out by Coordinating Minister for Kumham Imipas Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom Yvette Cooper in Jakarta, Tuesday (21/10).

The two inmates are Lindsay June Sandiford (68 years) and Shahab Shahabadi (35 years). Both are involved in narcotics cases and have served a dozen years in Indonesia.

Lindsay has served her sentence since May 25, 2012 at the Class II A Women's Correctional Institution (Lapas) Kerobokan, Bali, with a death penalty. She suffers from type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and has been in a declining health condition.

Meanwhile, Shahab has been detained since June 26, 2014 at the Class II A Kembangkuning Prison, Nusakambangan, with a life sentence. He has skin diseases in subcutaneous tissue and mental disorders.