Five Australian men serving life sentences in Indonesia have returned home after an agreement between the two countries.
The five are the remaining members of the ‘Bali Nine’ — a group of Australians convicted of attempting to smuggle over eight kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia in 2005.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the five men had returned to Australia. He said: “They did a serious crime and they have rightly paid a serious price for it.”
The men will serve no further jail time in Australia.
Background
In April 2005, nine Australian citizens were arrested while trying to smuggle heroin into Australia from Bali, Indonesia.
Indonesian authorities arrested the group in Bali after receiving a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Five were arrested at Denpasar Airport in Bali, four of whom had heroin strapped to their bodies. The remaining four were arrested at a Bali hotel.
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the group’s leaders, were found guilty of organising the attempted smuggling and were sentenced to death. They were executed in 2015.
The other seven were ultimately sentenced to life in prison.
One of the men has since died of cancer in 2018. Renae Lawrence, the only woman in the group, had her sentence reduced before she was freed that same year.
Deal
Late last month, it was revealed the Government was negotiating the men’s return.
At the time, the Government said the five would continue to serve their sentences once returned. However, it’s been reported the men will now go free.
Albanese said the deal reflects the strong relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for “his act of compassion.”
Return
The five men flew from Bali to Darwin on Sunday and remain in the Northern Territory as they wait to be reunited with their families.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that he had the opportunity to speak to a number of the men’s “grateful” parents on Sunday night.
He said that while he shares Indonesia’s concern over illicit drug offences, “it was time for them to come home.”
Opposition
Speaking to radio station 4BC, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said that amid the “excitement and relief” surrounding the men’s return, Australians should remember their circumstances are the consequences of their actions.
“You can make a decision that can result in 20 years of your life being taken away — and the most important 20 years… These people don’t come back as heroes of our country, they haven’t been in political captivity,” Dutton said.
