Lindsay Sandiford, a drug courier, has been spared from facing death row in Bali due to concerns about her health, as reported by the Mirror.
Sandiford, who has been at risk of execution in Indonesia’s Kerobokan prison since her 2013 conviction for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine, alleged that a drug syndicate in the UK coerced her into trafficking the drugs from Thailand.
Following a medical evaluation by UK doctors, Indonesian authorities have agreed to her repatriation, citing her “serious illness.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper personally appealed to Indonesian authorities for Sandiford’s return.
Plans are underway for her transfer back to the UK, with a potential meeting scheduled for Thursday for her release and handover to UK officials at the airport.
The 69-year-old grandmother is expected to return home soon, following the efforts of UK officials to secure her repatriation, as confirmed by Indonesian sources.
A source revealed, “Both Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper appealed directly to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for Sandiford’s transfer back to the UK, marking the end of her distressing ordeal and signifying progress in diplomatic relations with Indonesia.”
Indonesia’s senior law and human rights minister, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, disclosed that Sandiford’s health condition is severe and that she will be brought back to the UK, along with another inmate, Shahab Shahabadi, who is serving a life sentence for drug-related charges.
Yusril confirmed that both the British Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister had formally requested the transfer of the two prisoners to the UK, with agreements finalized and signed in Jakarta.
The British Ambassador to Indonesia, Dominic Jermey, was present during the signing of the agreement as Sandiford’s return was announced. Sandiford, who had moved to India in 2012, was arrested in Bali in 2012 after arriving from Bangkok with a quantity of cocaine in her possession.
Sandiford, initially claiming coercion by a criminal group, later collaborated with authorities in apprehending individuals involved in drug trafficking, leading to charges against her and Julian Ponder, a British resident in Bali, for drug-related offenses.
Despite appeals citing her alleged coercion and mental health issues