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Bali Nine member loses clemency bid
Myuran Sukumaran
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Myuran Sukumaran. JP/Komang Erviani
An Australian drug smuggler, Myuran Sukumaran, has lost his bid for clemency with the signing of a presidential decree by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo rejecting the appeal.
Sukumaran, a Bali Nine member, who attempted to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia in 2005, submitted his bid for clemency during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration.
'There is insufficient reason to give clemency to those convicted,' was stated in Presidential Decree No. 32/G 2014 signed by the President on Dec. 30, 2014.
In addition to Sukumaran, the decree also rejected a bid for clemency from Ang Kiem Soei, a Dutch citizen sentenced to death by the Tangerang District Court in 2003 for drug trafficking.
Denpasar District Court spokesperson Hasoloan Sianturi said that the court had received the presidential decree on Wednesday. 'The state secretariat staff came to the court with the letter,' Hasoloan said.
'The presidential decree stipulated the President had rejected the clemency plea of death-row convict Myuran Sukumaran. It was signed in Jakarta on Dec. 30,' he explained.
Hasoloan said that the court had sent a letter to the Denpasar Prosecutor's Office and to Kerobokan prison letting them know.
Kerobokan prison warden Sudjonggo said that Sukumaran had been informed.
'The Australian consulate conveyed the information directly to Myuran on Wednesday afternoon,' Sudjonggo said.
Sudjonggo said that Sukumaran was seen smiling as usual when he was informed. 'He is smiling as usual, but we don't know what is in his heart. We don't know whether he tried hard to be strong.'
He added that nothing would change related to supervision of Sukumaran's activity.
'We will supervise him as usual, the same as other inmates. If we give him special supervision, it will only be stressful for him,' he said.
Sudjonggo said that the prison would help Sukumaran if he lodged another legal bid.
'We will facilitate every legal attempt that Myuran makes. It is our obligation to facilitate this,' he stated.
Earlier, Sukumaran had conveyed his hopes that Jokowi would let him live. 'Please give me a second chance at life,' Sukumaran said in November.
Sukumaran, who has actively set up workshops in the prison, said he was trying to turn his life around. 'I am trying to be a better person,' he said at that time.
In addition to Sukumaran, there are three other death-row convicts in Kerobokan prison, including another Bali Nine member, Andrew Chan. Chan's appeal for clemency has not yet received a response.
The other two other are Briton Lindsay June Sandiford, who attempted to smuggle drugs into Bali, and Balinese Putu Suaka, who committed premeditated murder.
The Intelligence section head at the Denpasar Prosecutor's Office, Syahrir Sagir, said that the prosecutor had followed up on the decree by sending a letter to the Bali Prosecutor's Office.
The Bali office, he said, would communicate with the attorney general for the next step. 'We will implement the decree. We are now asking for guidance from our superior,' he said.
