Major update on woman who was waiting to be executed by firing squad in Bali after making ‘final wish’
A British woman who has been on death row for over a decade has just gotten a major update on her situation.
Grandmother Lindsay Sandiford was caught trying to smuggle $2.1 million worth cocaine (about 11 lbs) in a false bottom of her suitcase at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport from Bangkok, Thailand, back in 2012.
Due to Indonesia's strict drug trafficking laws, she was sentenced to death by firing squad the following year.
She claimed that she had only agreed to carry the drugs as a drug syndicate had threatened to kill her son.
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Sandiford had been held in the prison for over 10 years, awaiting her fate at the notorious Kerobokan facility and seemingly coming to terms with the fact any day could be her last.
Heather Mack, who had previously served a 10-year-sentence in the same prison, spoke to the Mirror about Sandiford losing hope and her final wish regarding her execution.
For her final wish, Sandiford asked that when she is executed her family don’t come and that they don’t make a fuss about her.
She added: “My attitude is 'If you want to shoot me, shoot me. Get on with it'.”
The prison has previously made headlines for the apparent horrible levels of overcrowding and Sandiford has reportedly been sharing a cell measuring 10ft by 8ft with 13 other women, when the room is meant to hold three.
But the 69-year-old is unlikely to have to deal with this any longer as she is set to be repatriated and sent back to the UK as part of an agreement between the two countries.
She is set to be flown back to the UK despite previously giving up hope that she would be released.
An Indonesian government source told AFP: "The practical arrangement will be signed today. The transfer will be done immediately after the technical side of the transfer is agreed.”
Sandiford will reportedly be sent back to the UK alongside Shahab Shahabadi, 35, who is currently serving a life sentence in Indonesia after being convicted on drugs charges in 2014.
Mack also previously said that she was aware that Sandiford was spending all of her days ‘pretty much alone in her cell’ and stopped mixing with other prisoners.
She added that the pair had seen two other inmates being taken away for execution despite making significant efforts to change.
She added: "They had turned their lives around and were different people to when they were convicted, so everyone thought they would be OK, but when Lindsay witnessed them being taken away to face death, she realized that her own end was nearing. That's when the stark reality set in."
According to the Myanmar Accountability Project, a capital punishment verdict may be changed to a life prison term.
It depends on if the prisoner shows a 'commendable attitude and actions'.
Sandiford had spent more than 10 years behind bars and had shown good behavior during her time in the prison, so some expected that she could be released months ago.
UNILAD has contacted the UK foreign office for comment.
Topics: News, World News, Death Row
Gerrard Kaonga