Matt White
02-14-2006, 12:48 PM
DENPASAR, Indonesia (Feb. 14) - An Indonesian court on Tuesday sentenced two young Australian men to die by firing squad for attempting to smuggle heroin from the resort island of Bali, verdicts that could strain ties with Canberra.
The sentences matched what prosecutors had demanded for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the accused masterminds of a group of nine Australians arrested on Bali last April for trying to smuggle more than 18 lbs of heroin to Australia.
Activists from an Indonesian anti-narcotics group inside the courtroom shouted ''Hooray! Long live the judges!'' when the verdicts were read out in separate sessions.
The court also sentenced two drug couriers to life in jail, after giving the same punishment to two others on Monday.
Chan, 22, shook his head, stared at the ceiling and then smirked when the verdict was delivered. Both he and Sukumaran, 24, are from Sydney.
''There are no mitigating factors. His statements throughout the trial were convoluted and he did not own up to his actions,'' chief judge Arif Supratman said, while handing down Chan's verdict.
''His actions ... tainted Bali's name as a resort island.''
In Canberra, an emotional Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the sentencing of the two men should serve as a warning to other Australians.
I feel desperately sorry for the parents... But the warnings have been there for decades, and how on earth any young Australian can be so stupid as to take the risk is completely beyond me. -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard
''Can I just say to every young Australian, please take notice of this. I even beg them not to take the terrible risks that these young people have done -- their lives destroyed in the case of two people,'' Howard told reporters.
Howard said Australia would make representations -- a plea for clemency -- to Indonesia on behalf of Chan and Sukumaran after any appeals were completed.
''I feel desperately sorry for the parents of these people, I do...But the warnings have been there for decades, and how on earth any young Australian can be so stupid as to take the risk is completely beyond me,'' Howard said.
Lawyers for Chan said they would appeal.
''Life and death are God's decisions. If it is made through a court verdict that equals murder,'' said lawyer Agus Saputra.
Prosecutors had said Chan was the ''driving engine'' of the operation.
He was arrested inside a Sydney-bound flight at Bali's airport after police had caught the four defendants sentenced to life with packages of heroin strapped to their bodies inside the airport.
It was unclear if Sukumaran would appeal.
Prosecutors had said Sukumaran helped strap the packages on the four couriers and was a planner of the operation. He was arrested at a Bali hotel.
The latest Australians to get life in jail were Michael Czugaj, 20, from Brisbane and Martin Stephens, 29, of Wollongong.
Their sentences also matched what prosecutors had demanded.
Czugaj appeared tense and stared at a translator sitting beside him as the verdict was read out in the Indonesian language.
Growing Death Row
Around 20 foreigners, most of them Africans, are on death row in Indonesia for drug offences. The latest foreigners shot by firing squad for drug offences were two Thais in October 2004. They had sat on death row for eight years.
Around 20 foreigners, most of them Africans, are on death row in Indonesia for drug offenses.
The final stage of an appeal allows inmates on death row to seek clemency from the president.
The verdicts against the Australians have highlighted Indonesia's zero tolerance for drug offenses.
On Monday, the court jailed Renae Lawrence for life even though prosecutors had asked judges to show leniency by jailing her for 20 years because of her cooperation in the case.
Lawrence, 28, from the city of Newcastle, is the only female of the group, dubbed the ''Bali Nine'' by Australian media.
Under Indonesian law, a prosecution demand is non-binding for judges but is seen as a strong recommendation.
Among verdicts of recent years, the same court jailed Australian woman Schapelle Corby for 20 years last May after she was found guilty of smuggling marijuana.
http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/00/03/20060214082609990010
The sentences matched what prosecutors had demanded for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the accused masterminds of a group of nine Australians arrested on Bali last April for trying to smuggle more than 18 lbs of heroin to Australia.
Activists from an Indonesian anti-narcotics group inside the courtroom shouted ''Hooray! Long live the judges!'' when the verdicts were read out in separate sessions.
The court also sentenced two drug couriers to life in jail, after giving the same punishment to two others on Monday.
Chan, 22, shook his head, stared at the ceiling and then smirked when the verdict was delivered. Both he and Sukumaran, 24, are from Sydney.
''There are no mitigating factors. His statements throughout the trial were convoluted and he did not own up to his actions,'' chief judge Arif Supratman said, while handing down Chan's verdict.
''His actions ... tainted Bali's name as a resort island.''
In Canberra, an emotional Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the sentencing of the two men should serve as a warning to other Australians.
I feel desperately sorry for the parents... But the warnings have been there for decades, and how on earth any young Australian can be so stupid as to take the risk is completely beyond me. -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard
''Can I just say to every young Australian, please take notice of this. I even beg them not to take the terrible risks that these young people have done -- their lives destroyed in the case of two people,'' Howard told reporters.
Howard said Australia would make representations -- a plea for clemency -- to Indonesia on behalf of Chan and Sukumaran after any appeals were completed.
''I feel desperately sorry for the parents of these people, I do...But the warnings have been there for decades, and how on earth any young Australian can be so stupid as to take the risk is completely beyond me,'' Howard said.
Lawyers for Chan said they would appeal.
''Life and death are God's decisions. If it is made through a court verdict that equals murder,'' said lawyer Agus Saputra.
Prosecutors had said Chan was the ''driving engine'' of the operation.
He was arrested inside a Sydney-bound flight at Bali's airport after police had caught the four defendants sentenced to life with packages of heroin strapped to their bodies inside the airport.
It was unclear if Sukumaran would appeal.
Prosecutors had said Sukumaran helped strap the packages on the four couriers and was a planner of the operation. He was arrested at a Bali hotel.
The latest Australians to get life in jail were Michael Czugaj, 20, from Brisbane and Martin Stephens, 29, of Wollongong.
Their sentences also matched what prosecutors had demanded.
Czugaj appeared tense and stared at a translator sitting beside him as the verdict was read out in the Indonesian language.
Growing Death Row
Around 20 foreigners, most of them Africans, are on death row in Indonesia for drug offences. The latest foreigners shot by firing squad for drug offences were two Thais in October 2004. They had sat on death row for eight years.
Around 20 foreigners, most of them Africans, are on death row in Indonesia for drug offenses.
The final stage of an appeal allows inmates on death row to seek clemency from the president.
The verdicts against the Australians have highlighted Indonesia's zero tolerance for drug offenses.
On Monday, the court jailed Renae Lawrence for life even though prosecutors had asked judges to show leniency by jailing her for 20 years because of her cooperation in the case.
Lawrence, 28, from the city of Newcastle, is the only female of the group, dubbed the ''Bali Nine'' by Australian media.
Under Indonesian law, a prosecution demand is non-binding for judges but is seen as a strong recommendation.
Among verdicts of recent years, the same court jailed Australian woman Schapelle Corby for 20 years last May after she was found guilty of smuggling marijuana.
http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/00/03/20060214082609990010