Following a candlelight vigil in Canberra, the Australian government said it had made a last-ditch attempt to save two Australians on death row by proposing a prisoner swap with Indonesia.
Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, members of the so-called “Bali Nine” smuggling ring, have been held by Indonesian authorities for nearly a decade, but now appear to be just days away from execution by firing squad.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed with Australian media that the government was looking into its remaining options, including an exchange of prisoners.
Bishop said she contacted her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi Tuesday evening.
“I asked for a pause in their preparations for the executions of Mr Sukumaran and Mr Chan so that we could explore some kind of prisoner swap, or prisoner transfer, or a swap of their Indonesian prisoners who are in jail in Australia for a stay of execution for Mr Sukumaran and Mr Chan,” Bishop told Australian radio.
Dawn vigil
The revelations come to light after Bishop joined members of her government and opposition parliamentarians at a candlelight vigil at dawn Thursday, as a spectacular sunrise lit politicians from across Australia’s political spectrum, united in opposition to the impending executions.
“We appeal to the Indonesian president to grant a stay of clemency,” Bishop told the gathering. She reminded the Indonesian government that legal avenues remained open, before appealing for mercy on behalf of the convicted men’s families.
“I’ve spoken to the families. They are going through an unimaginably difficult time and I ask that you think of the families who are praying that their son, brother, grandson can have their life spared. We appeal again to President Widodo, the leader of a strong and proud country, to show mercy and forgiveness and spare the lives of these two young Australians.”
Prison transfer
The convicted men were transferred Wednesday from prison to a maximum security facility on the island of Nusakambangan where they will be isolated before being put to death.
Australia has repeatedly appealed for clemency for the pair. They have been jailed since April 2005 for a failed bid to smuggle more than 8 kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said people should not let anger affect Australians’ relationship with Indonesia.
“We abhor drug crime, but we abhor the death penalty. We think that these two Australians deserve to be punished, but they certainly don’t deserve to be executed,” he said.
The two men will be given 72 hours notice of their impending appointment with a 12-member firing squad. They are among a number of people from different countries who are also scheduled for execution.
Failed smuggling plot
The Bali Nine were arrested after Indonesian police received a tip from Australian Federal Police.
Chan, 31, was called the ringleader of the plot, and Sukumaran was described as Chan’s collaborator in the scheme. Seven other people who participated in the plan are serving lengthy prison sentences.
Police caught four people at the Denpasar airport with more than 8 kilograms of heroin strapped to their bodies.
Another four — including Sukumaran — were arrested at a hotel in the village of Kuta. Chan was detained after a boarding a plane to Sydney — he wasn’t carrying any drugs but was named by others as the mastermind of the plot.
Legal maneuvers
The Indonesian administrative court last week dismissed a case filed by lawyers of the two Australians against President Joko Widodo. The attorneys wanted a review of the president’s decision to deny them clemency.
Todung Mulya Lubis, who represents the pair, said a challenge had been submitted to the administrative court and lawyers were still waiting for a court summons.
“There should be no execution as long as there is a legal process going on,” Lubis said.
Rehabilitation claimed
Sukumaran and Chan have become model prisoners during their time behind bars, according to fellow inmates and the jail’s chief warden. Sukumaran is studying fine arts and has set up a class for fellow inmates. Chan has found spirituality, which he uses to counsel inmates with drug problems.
Their rehabilitation is genuine, Bishop has previously said.
“Andrew and Myuran are the model of what penal systems the world over long to achieve,” she told the Australian Parliament in February.
Death for drugs
Indonesia has long taken a tough line on drug smugglers, and Widodo has made it clear he doesn’t intend to introduce a policy of leniency.
In December, six prisoners were killed by firing squad, including five foreigners from Brazil, the Netherlands, Malawi, Nigeria and Vietnam.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff issued a statement saying the execution of one of her countrymen had “severely affected” relations with Indonesia.
