Indonesian prison chief, judge make plea for lives of Australian drug smugglers

Indonesian prison chief, judge make plea for lives of Australian drug smugglers

2010-10-08 20:46:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- An Indonesian prison chief and a former judge have testified in the case of two Australian Bali Nine gang members who tried to smuggle drugs from Indonesia to Australia. They are currently on death row.

Retired judge Yayha Haraha told the Denpasar district court on Thursday that Andrew Chan, 26, and Myuran Sukumaran, 29, are not guilty of exporting heroin because they had not yet boarded their flight to Australia.

On Friday, the chief of the Kerobokan prison, Siswanto, said Chan and Sukumaran had contributed by teaching fellow inmates and should not be executed. Siswanto called for a prison term of 20 years for the 2005 plot to smuggle more than 8 kilograms (17 pounds) of heroin from Bali to Australia.

As part of an appeal against the death sentence, both men are arguing that since being in jail they have become rehabilitated.

Scott Rush, 24, another member of the drug rig, is also appealing against his death sentence. Five other members of the group - Martin Stephens, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Si Yi Chen and Tan Duc Than Nguyen - are currently are serving life sentences, and the ninth member, Renae Lawrence, is serving a 20 year sentence.

The trial is expected to resume on November 5.

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