Five Australians, the remaining members of the infamous “Bali Nine” drug smuggling ring, have returned to Australia after serving two decades in Indonesian prisons, CNN reports.
Their release, announced Sunday by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, follows a deal struck between Canberra and Jakarta.
The five – Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, and Martin Stephens – were serving life sentences for their involvement in a 2005 plot to smuggle over 8 kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia. In a joint statement, the men and their families expressed immense gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his government for their release, also thanking Australian authorities, friends, and legal counsel. They stated they are relieved and happy to be home and look forward to reintegrating into Australian society.
The Bali Nine case has been a significant point of tension between Australia and Indonesia for years. The 2015 executions of ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran by Indonesia deeply strained relations, prompting then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott to label it a “dark moment.”
Last month, Prime Minister Albanese raised the issue of the remaining five with President Subianto during the APEC Summit in Peru. Indonesia’s Law Minister subsequently confirmed the agreement to release the prisoners. Albanese thanked President Subianto for his compassion in securing their release.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in a joint statement with Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, emphasized that the five men will have the opportunity to continue their rehabilitation and reintegration in Australia.
The Bali Nine were arrested following a tip-off from Australian authorities. Four were apprehended at Denpasar International Airport with heroin strapped to their bodies, while others were found at a Kuta hotel. Chan was captured boarding a flight to Sydney. While Chan and Sukumaran received the death penalty, the other seven received life sentences, later reduced in some cases.
Renae Lawrence, the only female member, was released in 2018 after serving 13 years of a 20-year sentence. Another member, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, died of kidney cancer in 2018 while in custody.
