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British Woman Faces Death In Bali Drug Case

Lindsay Sandiford stands next to her interpreter as her verdict is announced at a courthouse in Bali on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013.

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VOA News

January 22, 2013

A British woman has been sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle drugs into the resort island of Bali.

Lindsay Sandiford, 56, cried when the sentence was announced, but made no comment as she was escorted back to jail.

Indonesia has notoriously strict drug laws but the sentence was harsher than expected because prosecutors had recommended a 15-year sentence.

A panel of judges at the Denpasar District Court said there was no reason to lighten Sandiford's sentence, saying she had damaged the image of Bali as a tourist destination.

In May, Sandiford was arrested at Bali's international airport with 4.8 kilograms of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase. She says a criminal gang threatened to hurt her children if she did not transport the drugs, which had a street value of $2.5 million.

Her lawyer says she will appeal the verdict.

Two other British citizens have received lighter sentences for their role in the case. A fourth is expected to be sentenced at the end of the month.

Indonesia has 114 prisoners on death row, although no executions have taken place since 2008, according to Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Condemned criminals there face death by firing squad but death sentences are sometimes commuted to lengthy prison sentences.

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by: Joe Lee from: Indonesia

January 23, 2013 8:18 PM

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death penalty in Indonesia is still rarely done because of the human rights abuses. As a result, many violations of the law because they assume thay law enforcement officials considered weak.

by: jorma from: Vancouver

January 23, 2013 12:24 AM

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Who smuggle dope INTO Bali? Was she lost?

by: Unreasonable from: Wash, DC

January 22, 2013 9:12 AM

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If her story of being coerced with the threat of violence is true, which at the least sounds plausible, she is being made a victim twice. Indonesia need not worry about scaring tourists away as a drug den, as the fear of being murdered by the government after falling prey to highly-motivated drug traffickers is much scarier.

In Response

by: tracy from: livingston

January 23, 2013 4:27 AM

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its alot of rubbish the judge saying it will ruin the rep of bali ,cause it wouldnt had ,now giving her a death sentence will ruin the rep of bali,the judge wont even here why she did it.terrible man.

In Response

by: scallywag from: nyc

January 22, 2013 3:35 PM

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Sentencing someone to death for drug smuggling is most people's view of barbaric, but the US has similar laws on the books for other non lethal crimes, so should we really be shocked?

And then again if she was male, brown and in her twenties, would we really be having this discussion in the first place? If a grandmother is allowed to break the law why then shouldn't a jury be allowed to enforce it….?

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2013/01/should-british-grandmother-receive-death-penalty-from-indonesian-court-for-drug-trafficking/

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British Woman Faces Death In Bali Drug Case

<h1>British Woman Faces Death In Bali Drug Case</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>A British woman has been sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle drugs into the resort island of Bali. Lindsay Sandiford, 56, cried when the sentence was announced, but made no comment as she was escorted back to jail. Indonesia has notoriously strict drug laws but the sentence was harsher than expected because prosecutors had recommended a 15-year sentence. A panel of judges at the Denpasar District Court said there was no reason to lighten Sandiford's sentence, saying she had damaged the image of Bali as a tourist destination. In May, Sandiford was arrested at Bali's international airport with 4.8 kilograms of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase. She says a criminal gang threatened to hurt her children if she did not transport the drugs, which had a street value of $2.5 million. Her lawyer says she will appeal the verdict. Two other British citizens have received lighter sentences for their role in the case. A fourth is expected to be sentenced at the end of the month. Indonesia has 114 prisoners on death row, although no executions have taken place since 2008, according to Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy. Condemned criminals there face death by firing squad but death sentences are sometimes commuted to lengthy prison sentences.<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/british-woman-gets-death-sentence-for-drug-smuggling-in-bali/1588382.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/british-woman-gets-death-sentence-for-drug-smuggling-in-bali/1588382.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1588382&SiteId=415&r=961705276&it=0&pd=20130122092304&url=ArticleID1588382" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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