Australians jailed in Indonesia are “relieved” to be home

The five remaining members of the notorious Balinese Nine drug gang say they are “relieved and happy” to be home in Australia after serving nearly 20 years in Indonesian prisons.

Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stevens, Xi Yi Chen and Michael Chugai arrived in Darwin on Sunday after years of lobbying by Australia.

“They look forward to eventually returning to and contributing to society,” said a statement on behalf of the men and their families.

The high-profile case began in 2005 when nine young Australians were caught in Indonesia trying to smuggle 8.3kg (18lb) of heroin strapped to their bodies from Bali.

Eight men and one woman were arrested at an airport and hotel in Bali after being tipped off by Australian police.

The case made global headlines when two of the gang’s ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were shot dead in 2015, sparking a diplomatic row between neighboring Indonesia and Australia.

The other members of the Bali Nine – most of whom were under the age of 21 – were sentenced to either 20 years or life in prison.

The case has drawn attention to Indonesia’s strict drug laws, some of the strictest in the world.

One of the nine, Thanh Duc Thanh Nguyen, died of cancer in prison in 2018. Shortly after, 41-year-old Renee Lawrence, the only woman in the group, was given a lighter sentence after spending almost 13 years in prison and returned to Australia. the same year.

Indonesia did not commute the sentences of the remaining five, now aged between 38 and 48, and they were transported back to Australia as prisoners. However, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that men can live freely in Australian society.

The five have been banned from entering Indonesia for life, according to a statement from the government’s press secretary.

On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had spoken to several of the men’s “grateful” parents.

“They committed a serious crime and they justly paid a serious price for it. But it’s time for them to go home,” he told reporters.

He said the deal did not come with conditions or services that Australia would have to repay: “This is an act of compassion on the part of President Prabov (Subiant) and we thank him for it.”

The men and their families also said they were “very grateful” to Prabowo.

They also thanked the lawyers, diplomats and statesmen who have helped advocate for them over the past two decades before asking for privacy.

“Men’s well-being is a priority, they will need time and support, and we hope and trust that our media and community will facilitate that.”

The five men were being medically assessed at the Howard Springs facility in Darwin, which has been used for quarantine during the pandemic, and will then begin a voluntary “rehabilitation process”, Education Minister Jason Clare said. It is not yet clear what this means and how long the men will stay there.

“When you’re in prison for the better part of two decades, it’s going to take some time for these people to rehabilitate and reintegrate into Australian society,” Mr Clare told the ABC.

He added that normal visa procedures would apply to any Indonesian family members of the men who did not follow them to Australia.