Indonesia aims to return foreign prisoners by January

JAKARTA - Indonesia plans to return prisoners from Australia, France and the Philippines by the end of the year, a minister said on Nov 28.

High-profile detainees include a Philippine woman saved from execution and the remaining members of Australia’s “Bali Nine”, all convicted on drugs charges.

“Our target is hopefully at the end of December, the transfers of these prisoners will have been completed,” said senior minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.

The announcement comes after Mr Yusril said last week that President Prabowo Subianto had “approved the transfer” of Philippine detainee Mary Jane Veloso.

The death row prisoner was granted a stay of execution in 2015, five years after being arrested with a suitcase lined with 2.6kg of heroin.

Veloso, whose case sparked an uproar in the Philippines, said last week she was “very elated” after hearing she may soon return home.

Talks are also ongoing with Canberra over the transfer of five Australians arrested in 2005 as part of a drug ring.

Two of the “Bali Nine” gang were executed by firing squad, one died of cancer and another was released in 2018.

Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Scott Rush and Martin Stephens remain in jail after being convicted for trying to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin off the holiday island of Bali.

Mr Yusril, whose portfolio covers law, human rights, immigration and corrections, said he would discuss their case during the visit of Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke next week.

The Indonesian minister said the government is also coordinating with Paris “about the possibility to transfer a French citizen”, without identifying the prisoner.

Mr Yusril reiterated Jakarta’s preference for detainees to complete their jail time back home.

“We are transferring them to their countries so they can serve their sentence there, but if the countries want to give amnesty, we respect it. It’s their right,” he said. AFP