T

he law and human rights minister has officially ordered the transfer of two death row convicts, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, from Kerobokan prison in Bali to Nusakambangan, Central Java, where their executions will be carried out.

Bali Prosecutor'€™s Office head Momock Bambang Samiarso said the Bali Nine duo will soon be moved even though the date of the execution has yet to be set.

'€œThe permit has been approved, the permit to move them from Kerobokan, Bali, to another place,'€ said Momock after a meeting about the execution plan at the Bali Governor'€™s Office in Denpasar on Thursday.

The meeting was also attended by Bali Deputy Governor Ketut Sudikerta, head of Denpasar Prosecutor'€™s Office Imanuel Zebua, the head of Bali'€™s Justice and Human Rights Ministry Gusti Kompiang Adnyana, the head of the National Narcotic Agency (BNN) Bali chapter IGK Budiartha, an official from PT Angkasa Pura I, as well as an official from Garuda Indonesia Airways.

Momock said they would move the Australians in the near future. '€œSoon; as soon as possible,'€ he said.

The letter from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, which ordered the transfer, Momock said, was signed on Wednesday.

Both Sukumaran and Chan were sentenced to death for trying to smuggle about 8 kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia in 2005. They are part of a group of nine Australian drug smugglers, the so-called Bali Nine.

The pair have lost their chance to escape execution as their request for a second case review was rejected by the Denpasar District Court. The second review was lodged after their clemency pleas were officially rejected by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo.

Attorney General HM Prasetyo has yet to schedule the execution. However, the Australian consulate told the convicts last week that the execution would be conducted this month.

While plans to execute the Australians are moving forward, the rehabilitation program that they set up in the prison is ongoing. A painting class that Sukumaran set up was held on Thursday. An Australian Artist, Ben Quilty, mentored the painting class on Thursday. The class was not only attended by prisoners, but also ex-convicts.

While being detained for almost 10 years in Kerobokan Prison, both Sukumaran and Chan have set up several rehabilitation programs, including art and computer workshops, cooking classes and tennis lessons. Support for the Bali Nine duo has also been offered by many prisoners and ex prisoners who said that they had been rehabilitated by Sukumaran and Chan'€™s programs.

Many campaigns have been held in support of the pair and many have asked Jokowi to cancel the execution, there was even a video campaign to raise people'€™s awareness of the matter.

Meanwhile, foreign convicts serving time in North Sulawesi Prison have protested against the death penalty for drug smugglers.

South African convict Donya Preston, 26, who was sentenced to 20 years for a drug-related case, said he did not agree with the death sentence for drug convicts, as it would discourage them from appealing for clemency from the government.

'€œI actually want to appeal for clemency, but with the events surrounding the '€˜Bali Nine'€™, I'€™m afraid, as my sentence could be increased, or I could even face the death sentence,'€ said Donya.

North Sulawesi is currently home to 17 foreign convicts.