British Grandmother on Indonesia Death Row Returns to London
Lindsay Sandiford, a 69-year-old British grandmother, was repatriated to the UK on November 7 after being released from death row in Indonesia on humanitarian grounds.
Background on Sentencing
Sandiford was sentenced to death in 2013 on Bali, Indonesia, for smuggling cocaine valued at US$2.14 million. Indonesia enforces some of the world's strictest drug laws.
Recent Developments in Indonesian Drug Policy
In the past year, Indonesia has released over half a dozen high-profile detainees convicted of drug offenses.
Repatriation Details
- Sandiford was accompanied by Shahab Shahabadi, 36, who was serving a life sentence for drug-related crimes from a 2014 arrest.
- Both were flown from Bali to London via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.
- Indonesian law and human rights ministry officials confirmed their departure on November 7.
Arrival in the UK
Sandiford arrived at Heathrow's Terminal 4 using a wheelchair, guarded by security personnel. She did not speak and covered her face with a jacket.
“Two British nationals who were detained in Indonesia have now returned to the UK,” said a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office.
Author's summary: Lindsay Sandiford, once on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, was released on humanitarian grounds and has safely returned to the UK, reflecting Indonesia's recent leniency toward some foreign drug convicts.