British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, who has spent 12 years on death row in Indonesia for drug smuggling, will be returned to the UK on humanitarian grounds, Indonesian authorities have confirmed.
Sandiford, 69, originally from Redcar, Teesside, was arrested in May 2012 after arriving in Bali from Thailand with £1.6 million worth of cocaine hidden in her luggage. She was sentenced to death by firing squad the following January but has remained in prison ever since.
Indonesia grants Sandiford release on humanitarian grounds
Senior Indonesian legal affairs minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the decision followed a request from the British government and was based on Sandiford’s age, health, and good behaviour during incarceration.
“Lindsay is old and sick,” he said. “In prison she showed good conduct, so that was enough reason to satisfy the request from the United Kingdom government that she be returned home and complete her sentence there.”
Mahendra added that another British national, Shahab Shahabadi, 35, who was serving a life sentence after being detained in 2014, would also be released alongside Sandiford. Both are expected to return to the UK within the next two weeks.
Foreign Office confirms coordination with Indonesia
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: “We are supporting two British nationals detained in Indonesia and are in close contact with the Indonesian authorities to discuss their return to the UK.”
Sandiford has spent her imprisonment at Kerobokan jail in Bali — a notoriously overcrowded facility built for 350 inmates but housing more than 1,000 when foreign media last gained access in 2013.
Lindsay Sandiford’s case and cooperation with police
The former legal secretary admitted to smuggling the drugs but maintained she was coerced by a criminal gang threatening her family. She said she agreed to carry the cocaine from Thailand to Bali to protect her children.
Sandiford cooperated fully with Indonesian police, helping to identify other members of the trafficking network. Her assistance led to several additional arrests following her detention.
If the transfer proceeds as planned, Sandiford will complete the remainder of her sentence in the UK.
Also read: New drugs in Cyprus and smuggling methods revealed
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
