The Indonesian government has approved the repatriation of two British citizens, Lindsay June Sandiford and Shahab Shahabadi, both convicted of drug-related offences.
The decision, taken on humanitarian grounds, follows a bilateral agreement between Indonesia and the United Kingdom signed on Tuesday, 21 October 2025.
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, confirmed that both individuals had received final and binding sentences.
“One was sentenced to death, one was sentenced to life imprisonment,” Yusril said on Tuesday, 31 October 2025, as quoted by Suara.com.
The repatriation process is currently undergoing technical procedures and is expected to be implemented soon. According to Yusril, health considerations were the key factor in the government’s approval.
“She’s in a rather serious condition and is already 68 years old,” he said, referring to Sandiford’s medical history of Type 2 diabetes and severe hypertension.
Sandiford has been serving her sentence at the Class IIA Kerobokan Penitentiary in Bali for more than 13 years since her arrest in May 2012.
Shahabadi, aged 35, has also served a lengthy prison term following a conviction for narcotics offences.
This policy follows previous repatriations of foreign nationals imprisoned in Indonesia, including members of the Bali Nine drug ring and Filipina national Mary Jane Veloso. French national Serge Atlaoui was also returned to his country in February 2025 after serving 18 years in prison.
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Lindsay Sandiford’s Case and Death Penalty Background
Lindsay June Sandiford, originally from Redcar, northeast England, was sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court in 2013 for smuggling cocaine into Bali.
The drugs, valued at around US$2.14 million (approximately Rp 4 billion), were found concealed in the false bottom of her suitcase upon her arrival from Thailand in May 2012.
During her trial, Sandiford pleaded guilty but claimed she had been coerced by an international drug syndicate that threatened to harm her son.
Her appeal against the death sentence was rejected in 2013, and she has been on death row since then.
In a 2015 article for the Mail on Sunday, Sandiford described concerns over the execution timeline.
“My execution is imminent, and I know I could die at any moment. I could be taken out of my cell tomorrow, “she wrote.
She also mentioned preparing a farewell letter to her family and planning to sing Perry Como’s Magic Moments if taken before the firing squad.
The Indonesian government has not provided details on whether Sandiford’s sentence was officially commuted. The decision to repatriate her represents a notable case, as Indonesia rarely transfers prisoners sentenced to death.
According to the Ministry of Law, Human Rights, and Immigration, over 90 foreign nationals currently remain on death row in Indonesia, all convicted for narcotics-related offences.
