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The Indonesian Navy patrols the straight between Central Java and the
Nusukambangan Prison Island, where executions are carried out. |
The executions of 10 drug felons on death row in Indonesia are waiting on the outcomes of legal appeals.
The Attorney-General H.M. Prasetyo has previously been adamant that all legal avenues had been exhausted for the 10 prisoners – including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran – after the Indonesian president rejected their clemency pleas.
However in a major departure, the Attorney-General's spokesman Tony Spontana said one of the felons was requesting a judicial review of her case and the government "had to respect the ongoing legal process".
Mr Spontana said he couldn't be sure the prisoners would be executed this month.
Filipino woman Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, who was caught smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Yogyakarta, has had her application for a judicial review referred to the Supreme Court.
Frenchman Serge Atloui, who was arrested at an ecstasy laboratory in Tangerang in 2005, has also requested a judicial review of his case which will be held on March 11.
Sources told Fairfax Media that reports the executions would be delayed indefinitely were inaccurate and the Indonesian government was merely waiting on the outcome of court cases scheduled for next week.
Meanwhile Chan and Sukumaran have spent three lonely days at Nusakambangan, with their families so far blocked from visiting them on the penal island where Indonesia's government plans to execute them.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, March 7, 2015 (local time)
Bali Nine families turned away from seeing Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran amid protests at jail
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Scott Rush inside the prison in Karangasem, Bali.
Picture: News Corp Australia |
BALI Nine member Scott Rush, whose death sentence was overturned, has spoken about the pending executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Rush, 29, told
The Weekend Australian through a friend that he is “shocked and heartbroken” by the imminent executions.
“I am praying for Myuran and Andrew and for the other condemned prisoners that even at this time mercy can’t be shown. I send love and prayers to the families and loved ones. May God bless them all,’’ he reportedly said.
Rush had his death sentence changed to life in prison but he hopes that may be changed to a 20-year term.
Rush’s father, Lee, helped police nab the Bali Nine after he asked a lawyer and family friend, Bob Myers, to contact the Australia Federal Police when he became suspicious that his son was smuggling drugs.
One of Scott Rush’s legal team, Robert Welfare, said while his client was saddened by Chan and Sukumaran’s imminent death any reports that he was feeling guilty were “ill founded”.
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Protesters ... Indonesians Against Drugs Movement want the Bali Nine
ringleaders to be executed. Picture: News Corp Australia |
This comes as it’s been revealed Chan and Sukumaran’s executions have been put on hold until all legal proceedings have been finalised.
Indonesian officials are now unable to confirm whether the pair will be executed this month reported Sky News.
Attorney-General HM Prasetyo can now not confirm who will go to the firing squad or when the executuions will happen.
After weeks of arguing their clemency rejection was the end of the road legally, he appears to have relaxed his strong stance.
“We want to respect the ongoing legal process,”Mr Spontana said.
He added they were willing to wait for the second opinion on the mental health of Rodrigo Gularte, a Brazilian on death row who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
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Source: news.au.com, March 7, 2015 (local time)
