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Unveiling Singapore’s Death Penalty Discourse: A Critical Analysis of Public Opinion and Deterrent Claims

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Indonesia: Lindsay Sandiford continues to decline Foreign Office support as execution date looms

Lindsay Sandiford in her Kerobokan death row cell
Sandiford, who is originally from Redcar, is due to be killed by firing squad for smuggling 1.6m pounds worth of cocaine into Bali.

The 58-year-old claims she was forced to transport it under duress because her son's life was being threatened by a drugs trafficking gang.

Last month, she was sent a letter from Indonesian prosecutors, informing her she could face a firing squad as early as March.

She claims to have received little help from the Foreign Office since her arrest but the office disputes this, saying it had consistently provided and offered consular support to Sandiford, which she is currently declining to accept.

And today, a Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that remained the case, with no updates on her situation.

"Mrs Sandiford had regular contact with our consular officials in Bali until September 2014, at which point she declined to accept any further support. We stand ready to offer her consular assistance."

Sandiford was found with the cocaine when she arrived in Bali from Thailand in May 2012. Without legal representation, she has been unable to fully challenge her death penalty and the right to file for clemency.

Last month, British foreign secretary Philip Hammond, while on a visit to Indonesia, raised the UK government's opposition to the death penalty in a meeting with vice-president Jusuf Kall and foreign minister Ibu Retno.

Her sister, Hilary Parsons, was also reported to have gone to Bali with three lawyers in a bid to try and save her.

But so far, there has been no public suggestion of any change in Indonesia???s stance regarding Sandiford.

A spokeswoman for human rights group Reprieve, which issued various press releases about Sandiford in the months after her detention, said today they have been "instructed not to speak about the case."

Source: gazettelive.co.uk, March 19, 2015

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