Bali 9 decision - welcome news
- Published on 6/03/2008
Matthew Norman (L) and Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen (R), © AFP
Reports that three of the Bali 9 have had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment is welcome news.
Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen and Tan Duc Thanh have reportedly been spared execution after being convicted of smuggling drugs in Bali in 2005. We will continue to monitor the appeal process currently before Indonesia's Supreme Court, and look forward to an official announcement.
Three of the Bali 9 on death row – Scott Rush, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan – undertook an unsuccessful constitutional challenge in October 2007.
The Indonesian Constitutional Court ruled in a split decision not to support the legal challenge to repeal the provisions in the 1997 Narcotics Law. They remain on death row.
Renae Lawrence is serving a 20 year sentence and Michael Czugaj and Martin Stephens were sentenced to life imprisonment.
In total 11 people were sentenced to death in Indonesia last year.
We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, as a violation to the right of life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
While it is legitimate for the Indonesian government to take appropriate law-enforcement measures against drug offenders, there is no scientific evidence showing that the death penalty deters would-be traffickers more effectively than other punishments.
We call on the Indonesian government to follow the example set by 133 countries around the world which have already abolished the death penalty in law or practice, including neighbouring Philippines which abolished the death penalty in 2006.
The trend towards total abolition continued in 2007 with the the UN General Assembly adopting a resolution calling for a global moratorium on the death penalty. The resolution was supported by 99 countries in favour, with 52 countries against.
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