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View all search resultsRepatriation for British drug convicts based on 'humanitarian' reasons, govt says
The repatriation will be carried out on humanitarian grounds, according to the government, as both convicts are diagnosed with illnesses.
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Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Service Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendera talks to journalists during a press briefing in Jakarta on Oct. 21, 2025 on the signing of an agreement with the United Kingdom on the repatriation of two British nationals convicted in drug crimes in Indonesia. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.)
I
ndonesia and the United Kingdom have signed an agreement on the transfer of two British nationals serving prison sentences in Indonesian prisons, with authorities citing humanitarian considerations due to the prisoners’ deteriorating health conditions for the transfer.
On Tuesday, Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendera signed the “practical agreement” on the repatriation of the two convicts with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The two prisoners are Lindsay June Sandiford, 68, and Shahab Shahabadi, 35. Both were convicted on drug-related crimes and have spent more than a decade behind bars in Indonesia.
Sandiford, who was convicted in 2013, is a death row prisoner in Kerobokan Penitentiary in Bali. She is suffering from diabetes and hypertension, with her overall condition reportedly deteriorating.
Meanwhile, Shahabadi is serving her life sentence at a maximum security prison on Nusakambangan Island in Cilacap, Central Java. She has been diagnosed with a subcutaneous skin disease and a mental disorder.
The repatriation will be carried out on humanitarian grounds, in line with Indonesia’s commitment to upholding human rights, Yusril said in a statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday.
“Indonesia values international cooperation that prioritizes humanitarian considerations,” the senior minister said, “especially for foreign nationals with serious health problems while serving their sentences”.
