Australia seeks probe of trial of 2 drug traffickers in Indonesia/ 8 executed
From Voice of America

In a last-ditch effort to save two drug traffickers from the firing squad in Indonesia, Australia’s Foreign Ministry urged Jakarta Monday to delay the executions until allegations of corruption in their trial could be investigated.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop claimed the trial judges had asked for tens of thousands of dollars to sentence the two to less than 20 years in prison.

“These allegations are very serious. They call into question the integrity of the sentencing process and it’s a matter for Indonesia’s judicial commission to investigate these matters and that underlines why we continue to request Indonesia to allow the judicial commission to finalize its review. This must be allowed to continue before any action is taken to prepare for executions. An execution is an irrevocable step and I believe that these hearings and these appeal processes should be concluded before any decision is taken,” said Bishop.

Indonesian authorities say the Australians have exhausted all avenues of appeal.

An Indonesian lawyer for the two – Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan – says he wants an investigation into what he says was an unfair legal proceeding in their case.

“I know that we have done everything possible under our legal system, we have done almost, we have done everything, we have done everything. We have exhausted every legal avenues. But Sukumaran and Andrew Chan still feel there is something wrong with all this legal proceeding especially at the district court at Bali,” said the lawyer.

Indonesia tightened security around Wijaya Pura port, the gateway to Nusakambangan Island prison, on Monday.

As many as 1,203 policemen and soldiers were deployed in the small town of Cilacap after a 72-hour advanced notice of execution was issued to seven drug convicts on death row.

A group of highly trained dogs, known as the K9 unit of Safe Guard Indonesia (SGI), were also brought to the port on a bus.

The port’s entrance was cleared by police of all cars and motorcycles parked nearby.

The executions, which will be the second round under President Joko Widodo, have drawn international criticism and sparked diplomatic tensions with Australia, France and Brazil, which have nationals on death row.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo has pledged no clemency for drug offenders, citing a “drug emergency” in the world’s fourth-largest country, but has said he was open to abolishing the death penalty in the future.

The statement came after the Philippines President Benigno Aquino met Widodo at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur and appealed for “humanitarian consideration” in the case.

Dozens of Philippine protesters gathered Monday outside the heavily guarded Indonesian embassy in Manila demanding that Widodo stop the execution of Veloso.

“We are appealing to the Indonesian President Widodo, we hope you listen to the appeal of the family, listen to the appeal of the workers, that it is clear that Mary Jane Veloso is a victim of the drug [syndicate] she is not a drug trafficker,” said Jerome Adonis, a protest leader.

Ten traffickers, who were given a 72-hour notification of their executions on Saturday, could be put to death is early as Tuesday night.

IMAGE: Todung Mulya Lubis, lawyer for two Australians facing death penalty, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, speaks to reporters at Wijayapura port in Cilacap Central Java island, Indonesia, April 27, 2015.

For more on this story go to: http://www.voanews.com/content/australia-claims-corruption-in-trial-of-2-drug-traffickers-in-indonesia/2735719.html

Eight drug convicts executed in Indonesia

From RTE News

Eight drug convicts were executed by an Indonesian firing squad this evening, but a Filipina who was on death row with the Australians, Nigerians, a Brazilian and an Indonesian was unexpectedly not among them.

The execution of the Filipina was delayed at the last minute after one of her recruiters surrendered to police in the Philippines, the attorney general’s spokesman said.

“The execution of Mary Jane (Veloso) has been postponed because there was a request from the Philippine president related to a perpetrator suspected of human trafficking who surrendered herself in the Philippines,” said Tony Spontana, spokesman for the attorney general.

“Mary Jane has been asked to testify.”

Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop criticised Indonesia’s “chaotic” handling of the executions, saying there would be “consequences” if the killings were carried out.

Two Australians, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were among those being held at the high-security prison island of Nusakambangan before their execution.

“I think the ghastly process that the family have been put through today just underscores how chaotic this has been,” Ms Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“They do deserve respect and they do deserve to have dignity shown to them at this time of unspeakable grief. But that doesn’t seem to have been extended to them at this time.”

The families had to push through a huge scrum of journalists when they arrived at Cilacap, the town that serves as the gateway to Nusakambangan, to visit the two men.

Sukumaran’s sister Brintha collapsed into the arms of family members who had to carry her.

Ms Bishop said her government had made several requests to the Indonesian government, including asking for formal notifications on when the executions would take place, but had not received any response.

“They have not responded to any of our requests and there are a number of outstanding requests to which we have still not yet received a response,” the minister said.

She added that she was “very dismayed” and “deeply disturbed at some of the aspects of how this has been handled”.

Ms Bishop said “there will be have to be consequences” if the two Australians were executed, but would not provide any details.

Australian media have speculated the government could recall its ambassador from Jakarta.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia after two of their citizens were executed in January along with four other drug offenders.

Ms Bishop’s comments came as some 300 supporters of the Australian pair gathered at Martin Place in Sydney’s central business district to hold a vigil.

Several people held signs calling for Indonesian President Joko Widodo to show mercy to the drug smugglers.

In an emotional address to the crowd, Sukumaran’s cousin Andrew Rajeevan said the two men were grateful for the support from their home country.

Profiles of the eight foreign nationals facing execution

“Over the last ten years, I’ve seen Myu and Andrew become completely different people,” Mr Rajeevan said of the decade the two men have spent behind bars on the Indonesian island of Bali since their arrests in 2005.

“They’ve been rehabilitated, so what’s the point in killing them? If anyone in Indonesia is listening, it’s still not too late.”

The convicted drug traffickers have no more legal avenues to delay their execution, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said.

Families of the death row inmates had until 8pm local time (2pm Irish time) to say their final goodbyes.

Security was heightened and religious counsellors, doctors and the firing squad were alerted to start final preparations for the executions.

A dozen ambulances, some carrying white satin-covered coffins, arrived earlier at the Nusakambangan prison island.

Australian family members, some weeping, arrived early to offer their final goodbyes to Sukumaran and Chan.

Authorities yesterday granted Chan’s last wish, which was to marry his Indonesian girlfriend Febyanti.

A small group of family and friends attended the ceremony in his prison cell.

Rebuffing last-minute appeals from Australia and the Philippines to spare their nationals, Indonesian Attorney General HM Prasetyo said last night that the nine had been given notice and had been placed in isolation cells.

Australia-Indonesia relations have been tested in recent years by disputes over people smuggling and spying.

In late 2013, Indonesia recalled its envoy and froze military and intelligence cooperation over reports that Canberra had spied on top Indonesian officials, including the former president’s wife.

“We don’t want to make enemies with any country, but we are fighting narcotics whose impacts are horrific, especially in Indonesia,” Mr Prasetyo said.

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, who is in the United States for a title fight, made a televised appeal to President Widodo on behalf of his countrywoman, Veloso

“I am begging and knocking on your kind heart that your excellency will grant executive clemency to her,” he said.

Dozens of protesters, mostly Philippine and Indonesia migrant workers, gathered at the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong today to protest against the imminent execution of Veloso, who maintains she was an unwitting mule for the heroin that was found in the lining of her suitcase.

A group of Australian celebrities, including Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, made a video titled “Save our boys, Mr Abbott”, urging Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to go to Jakarta on a mercy mission for Sukumaran and Chan.

Indonesia has harsh punishments for drug crimes and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap. Six have been executed so far this year.

This round of simultaneous executions has been delayed for weeks due to a series of last-minute legal challenges.

The Constitutional Court yesterday agreed to hear a final challenge by the Australian pair, but the government said the executions would not be delayed any longer.
Source: AFP/Reuters

For more on this story go to: http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0428/697219-indonesia-bali-nine/